KP Singh chosen as state’s interim chief of police
The Haryana government on Thursday appointed 1985-batch IPS officer KP Singh as the interim director general of police (DGP).
Singh, was also appointed as the DGP in 2016, was removed from the post in 2017.
The stop-gap arrangement was necessitated as the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is yet to shortlist a panel of three IPS officers for selecting state’s next police chief, as per orders of the Supreme Court.
“The state government is pleased to assign the charge of DGP to KP Singh in addition to his present duty till the finalisation of ongoing process of regular appointment as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court,’’ said a home department order.
On Thursday, the state government had granted “extension” to the outgoing DGP BS Sandhu till the time a new state police is appointed or for a month, whichever is earlier.
However, his retirement orders were again issued late in Thursday night as granting extension in service to IPS officers was beyond the purview of the state government.
On January 16, the apex court had 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 apex court’s 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 that on an in-depth consideration, they are left with no doubt that July 3, 2018, directions were wholesome and if the same were implemented, it will subserve public interest until such time that the matter is heard finally.
The SC had, on July 3 last year, directed that the DGP shall be selected by the state government from among the three senior-most officers who have been empanelled for promotion to that rank by the UPSC on the basis of their length of service, good record and range of experience for heading the police force.
MOVE NECESSITATED AS UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION YET TO SHORTLIST A PANEL OF THREE IPS OFFICERS FOR PICKING NEXT STATE POLICE CHIEF AS PER ORDERS OF APEX COURT