NEW LAW ON DGP APPOINTMENT

The recent Supreme Court directive to states and Union territories is a long overdue push towards police reforms. The Supreme Court has ordered states not to appoint any police officer as acting director- general of police, further ruling that three months before the incumbent steps down, the UPSC must offer to the state government a panel of three qualified officers, one of whom must be appointed to the post, for a minimum tenure of two years.

Observers note that this is a deserved attempt to stop the denigration of the post of DGP by state governments and to check political control of the police. In several instances, it has been noted that governments often regularise such appointments on the last day of retirement so that they can serve a full two- year term. For instance, Punjab has 11 DGPlevel and 20 additional DGPlevel officers.

One immediate fallout of the Supreme Court order could mean that the expected change of guard in the Karnataka police may now not happen. The incumbent DG and IGP, Neelamani N. Raju, is not only the senior- most IPS officer but will enjoy a tenure of two years. There has been some speculation that the new coalition government headed by chief minister H. D. Kumaraswamy wanted to replace Ms Raju with DGP, Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation, H. C. Kishore Chandra, who is the next in seniority in the state and is known to be close to chief minister. But that move may now have to be shelved after the SC order.