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Politics
Centre files Supreme Court petition challenging Jharkhand DGP appointment rules
✍️ tennews.in
🗓 08 Oct 2026, 04:17 AM
👁 10
The Union government has approached the Supreme Court, contesting the procedure adopted by Jharkhand to appoint its Director General of Police, alleging it breaches a prior court order.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has moved the Supreme Court, filing a petition that questions the rules used by the Jharkhand state government to appoint its Director General of Police (DGP). The filing asserts that the state's appointment procedure does not comply with a Supreme Court verdict issued earlier in the same matter.
According to the petition, the Jharkhand government introduced new criteria and a selection panel that sidestepped the guidelines laid down by the court. The Centre argues that such deviation undermines the uniformity of police appointments across states and violates the principle of judicial supremacy.
The dispute traces back to a 2022 Supreme Court judgment that directed states to follow a transparent, merit‑based process for senior police postings. The court had warned that any deviation would be subject to judicial review. Jharkhand’s recent rule changes are alleged to contravene that directive.
The Union government is seeking a directive from the apex court to halt the appointment until the state aligns its procedure with the earlier verdict. It also requests that the court examine the legality of the new rules and ensure compliance with the established judicial framework.
According to the petition, the Jharkhand government introduced new criteria and a selection panel that sidestepped the guidelines laid down by the court. The Centre argues that such deviation undermines the uniformity of police appointments across states and violates the principle of judicial supremacy.
The dispute traces back to a 2022 Supreme Court judgment that directed states to follow a transparent, merit‑based process for senior police postings. The court had warned that any deviation would be subject to judicial review. Jharkhand’s recent rule changes are alleged to contravene that directive.
The Union government is seeking a directive from the apex court to halt the appointment until the state aligns its procedure with the earlier verdict. It also requests that the court examine the legality of the new rules and ensure compliance with the established judicial framework.