Odisha DGP Selection in Supreme Court: Amicus Curiae Submits Report, Case adjourned to Sept 7

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Bhubaneswar: In the matter of the Odisha DGP Selection that is pending in Supreme Court today the Amicus Curiae submitted report. The case was adjourned to September 7.

The Amicus Curiae assisting the Supreme Court in the matter has submitted his report today. The case came up for hearing today in the Supreme Court but it was adjourned to September 7. In the meantime, the Amicus Curiae has filed his report.

The PIL challenging the Odisha DGP selection process is being heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Jaymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohan. The main issue in the case is whether the state government has followed the Supreme Court’s earlier guidelines while preparing the list of probable officers for the DGP post.

The petitioner’s allegation is that an attempt has been made to include comparatively junior officers in the list of eligible officers for DGP selection and this violates the DGP appointment policy laid down by the Supreme Court in the 2006 Prakash Singh case. On the other hand, the state government has been opposing this allegation.

In the previous hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Odisha state government, had told the court that the state has already filed its reply.

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The government’s argument is that promotion of senior IPS officers is a normal administrative process and the state has the right to send a proposal to the UPSC with officers who fulfil the prescribed qualifications. In the DGP selection process, the UPSC empanels three names from among the eligible officers. As per the direction in the Prakash Singh case, service tenure, good service record and experience required to lead the police force are taken into consideration.

Now that the Amicus Curiae’s report has been filed, all eyes will be on the September 7 hearing. Whether the DGP selection process will move forward or whether the Supreme Court will give any new direction in this regard may become clear in the next hearing.

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Also read: PUCC Fine Reduced In Odisha: Rs 10,000 Penalty Slashed To Rs 6,000, Watch

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