NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) not to finalise till August 18 the names of probable officers for appointment of the Director General of Police (DGP) of Odisha.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana passed the order while seeking response from the UPSC and others on a PIL which alleged that the state government was trying to include a junior officer in the list of probable candidates for the DGP post, in breach of the apex court’s earlier directions.
The incumbent DGP, Y B Khurania, will demit office on August 16.
“We will take it up on August 18. You assist us on that day but don’t finalise in the meanwhile. You defer your decision. If there is back door entry, it is not acceptable,” the bench told the counsel for the UPSC after being informed that the UPSC was slated to convene a meeting on Thursday.
The counsel appearing for the UPSC assured the bench that no meeting would be convened by it on the issue till the next date of hearing.
During the hearing, the bench also noted that the amicus curiae had also expressed concern and sought clarification on the issue. The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on August 18.
The apex court had on Tuesday agreed to hear the PIL “urgently”. The petition claimed that the state government was attempting to promote an additional DG to the rank of DGP and then include the officer in the fresh panel sent to the UPSC. It added that a 2006 verdict by the apex court, and its subsequent directions had said the DGP of a state shall be “selected by the state government from amongst the three senior-most officers of the department who have been empanelled for promotion to that rank by the UPSC on the basis of their length of service, very good record and range of experience for heading the police force”. The petition then alleged that the Odisha government was “attempting to include an ineligible officer in the panel to be sent to the UPSC.”
