MADURAI: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking a direction to forbear the Tamil Nadu government from extending the tenure of the incumbent Director General of Police/Head of Police Force (DGP/HoPF) Shankar Jiwal, who is set to retire on August 31, or appointing an in-charge or acting DGP, instead of taking steps for empanelment of eligible officers for the post.
Petitioner K Yasar Arafath of Ramanathapuram alleged that the state government has not initiated the mandatory process of empanelling eligible IPS officers and forwarding their names to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for preparing a panel.
Further, he alleged that the government is deliberately doing so to ensure that an officer of its choice leads the police department till the Assembly elections in May 2026, and requested the court to grant an interim injunction restraining the government from extending Jiwal’s tenure or appointing an acting DGP. The plea has been listed for hearing before a bench of justices SM Subramaniam and AD Maria Clete on Monday