RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Monday granted another opportunity to the state government, central government, and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to submit their responses regarding the appointment of Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta.
The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Babulal Marandi, who has challenged Gupta’s appointment as unconstitutional and in violation of a Supreme Court directive. The next hearing has been scheduled for July 15 after the respondents failed to submit their replies. Advocate Sumit Garodia appeared on behalf of the petitioner.
The Advocate General informed the division bench comprising Chief Justice S. Ramchandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roshan that a related case is also pending before the Supreme Court.
In his PIL, Marandi alleged that the state government bypassed constitutional norms and misused the police administration for political gain. He pointed out that the Supreme Court had mandated that appointments of DGPs must follow a UPSC-led selection process unless the state enacts a formal law. Instead of legislating, the Jharkhand government framed a rule in 2025 and sought to implement it retrospectively, which Marandi criticised as a deliberate attempt to subvert legal procedures.
He further accused the government of rushing Gupta’s appointment despite his controversial past, including being an accused in an electoral fraud case, facing suspension, and being kept away from election duties by the Election Commission. Marandi claimed the appointment was aimed at extending Gupta’s tenure, as he was due to retire in April 2025.
The opposition leader has also requested that the High Court take suo motu cognisance of the matter and order a CBI investigation. Additionally, he has filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutional validity of the newly framed appointment rules in light of previous apex court judgments.
In a related development, sources in the office of the Principal Accountant General (PAG) in Jharkhand revealed that Anurag Gupta’s salary has been stopped as of April 30, 2025. The PAG office issued a zero-salary slip, stating that no official communication regarding an extension of his service has been received from the state government. The information has been shared with both DGP Gupta and the Project Building Treasury, effectively preventing him from drawing a regular salary beyond April.