Blitz Bureau
THE Supreme Court recently observed that a statutory body such as a university cannot act unfairly and arbitrarily in matters of regularisation.
While directing the Tripura University, the Supreme Court on September 6 sought the response of the Jharkhand Chief Secretary in a contempt petition challenging the appointment of Anurag Gupta, IPS, as the Acting Director-General of Police (DGP). The Bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra sought responses from the Chief Secretary as well as the Acting DGP within two weeks.
The petitioner argued that Lalbiaktluanga Khiangte IAS, Jharkhand Chief Secretary (Respondent no.1) and IPS Anurag Gupta (Respondent no.2) are to be held liable for the non-compliance of the Prakash Singh decision and the subsequent directives issued by the top court in July 2018 and March 2019 along with the recent order of January 16, 2023.
The plea states that the appointment of Gupta through the notification dated July 25, on ‘ad-hoc basis’ as the Acting DGP violated the principles of equality and non-arbitrariness. It added that in doing so, the previous DGP appointed through UPSC empanelment was also relieved from his duties.
Notably, the apex court in 2018 had passed a slew of directions in light of Prakash Singh decision relating to police reforms and restrained all states and Union Territories from appointing any police officer as acting DGPs to avoid favouritism and nepotism in such high-level appointments, reports Live Law.
