RANCHI: Finally, after seven months of his retirement, DGP Anurag Gupta reportedly resigned from his post on Tuesday. Though the announcement is yet to be made officially, sources in the Jharkhand Police Headquarters have confirmed his resignation.
Sources also indicated that his resignation has been accepted.
Notably, Anurag Gupta’s appointment as DGP had remained surrounded by controversies right from the beginning. The controversy intensified after he was retained as DGP even after his retirement by the Hemant Soren government.
The central government had rejected the state government’s decision to extend Anurag Gupta’s tenure beyond his retirement. It had also issued a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, stating that the decision to retain Anurag Gupta as DGP beyond his retirement date was incorrect.
Anurag Gupta was appointed DGP on February 3 following a state government notification, which stated that his tenure would be in accordance with Rule 10(1) of the Selection and Appointment Rules 2025 of Director General and Inspector General of Police, Jharkhand (Chief of Police Force). However, according to the central government, he officially retired on April 30, 2025.
Earlier, Gupta had assumed charge as in-charge DGP of Jharkhand on July 26, 2024, but was removed from the post by the Election Commission of India during the Jharkhand Assembly elections. Following the elections, he was reinstated as in-charge DGP on November 28, 2024, after the Hemant Soren government returned to power with a thumping majority.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, filed a PIL terming Anurag Gupta’s appointment as unconstitutional and a violation of Supreme Court directives.
Marandi, in his PIL, accused the state government of violating constitutional norms and misusing the police administration for political purposes. He pointed out that the Supreme Court had clearly stated that DGP appointments must follow the UPSC process unless the state enacts a new law. However, instead of passing an Act, the state government framed a rule in 2025 and attempted to implement it retrospectively.
The Leader of Opposition also questioned how such a rule could come into effect without proper legislation and criticized officials for allowing what he called an “illegal process.”
Earlier, describing Gupta as the most controversial IPS officer in Jharkhand, Marandi had demanded the cancellation of his appointment and a thorough inquiry into his tenure. He also accused the state government of contempt of court, citing the Supreme Court’s 2006 ruling in the Prakash Singh case, which mandated that the DGP must be selected from a panel recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Marandi further alleged that the Hemant Soren government ignored the UPSC process and appointed Gupta, whose name was not on the recommended list.
According to the Supreme Court’s directive, the state government is required to appoint the DGP from a panel of the three senior-most officers recommended by the UPSC. Furthermore, the appointed officer must serve a minimum tenure of two years, irrespective of the date of retirement.
The petition contends that by ignoring this mandate, the government not only violated Supreme Court guidelines but also sought to install a contentious officer in a key position.
Marandi has also urged the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court to take suo motu cognizance of the matter and order a CBI probe.
