Haryana to have a new police chief by Jan-end

State govt may also try to get extension for incumbent DGP Sandhu

The Haryana govt will have to appoint a new DGP in accordance with the SC directions; Incumbent DGP BS Sandhu’s tenure ends on Jan 31.

The Haryana government will soon have to appoint a new director general of police (DGP) in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court. The extended tenure of incumbent DGP BS Sandhu ends on January 31.

Unless the state government attempts to further extend the Sandhu’s tenure, as done for his Punjab counterpart, by making a request for his extension in service to the central government, the state will have a new DGP by month’s end.

The apex court on Wednesday dismissed a bunch of interlocutory applications filed by Haryana, Punjab and three other states seeking exemption for their respective Police Acts from the operation of SCs July 3, 2018 order and permission to appoint the DGPs in accordance with their respective police laws.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said “on an in-depth consideration, they are left with no doubt that July 3 directions are wholesome and if the same are implemented, it will sub-serve public interest until such time that the matter is heard finally”.

The apex court had on July 3, 2018 directed that the DGP will be selected by the state government from among the three seniormost officers who have been empanelled for promotion to that rank by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on the basis of their length of service, very good record and range of experience for heading the police force.

The apex court was on Wednesday told by UPSC secretary Rakesh Kumar Gupta that as per the court orders, a panel of eligible officers in the rank of DGP or additional DGP had been drawn up by a committee of the UPSC in as many as 12 states. The said committee consisted of representatives of the UPSC, the central and the state governments concerned. He further submitted that subsequent to July 3, 2018 directions, similar panels have been drawn up for two states and at present, proposals have been received from two more states for the same purpose.

The apex court said “the above practice which has been followed further fortifies our view that, for the present, our directions in Prakash Singh case would not require any correction or modification. All the applications are dismissed accordingly”.