SC directs Home ministers to fill over 5 lakh vacancies in police forces

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar expressed concern over the huge vacancies in police forces across the country.
File photo of the Supreme Court. | PTI
File photo of the Supreme Court. | PTI

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday summoned Home Secretaries of all states to work towards filling up the existing five lakh vacancies in police forces across the country and sought details of the process within four weeks.

A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar expressed concern over the huge vacancies in police forces across the country. “In view of the importance of the issue, we require Home Secretaries of all the state governments to file affidavits in this court depicting the vacancy position," the bench said adding that if any state fails to file an affidavit, then they would summon the Home secretaries concerned.

“In order to ensure compliance of the order, we hereby direct respondent number one (Centre) to communicate the instant order to all the Home Secretaries of state governments within one week," it said. It noted that figures of January 2015 given to it indicated that there were around 4.73 lakh vacancies. The apex court also observed that currently, the police were short-staffed to deal with the heavy workload.

The court’s observation came on a plea filed by advocate Manish Kumar who highlighted the number of vacancies in police services across the country which deteriorated law and order.

The plea referred to the 2015 report and claimed that there were a total of around 5.42 lakh vacancies in the police services, and sought direction to the states and union territories to fill up the vacant posts in the police and state armed forces so that they do not remain overburdened.

During the hearing, the petitioner told the bench that around 24 per cent of the sanctioned posts for police services at all levels were lying vacant in the country.

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