Supreme Court reviews Odisha DGP appointment process

The Supreme Court of India is hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the Odisha government’s process for appointing the next Director General of Police (DGP). The case focuses on the procedure used to forward eligible IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for empanelment.

A central issue involves the exclusion of senior IPS officer Susanta Kumar Nath from the selection panel. The court questioned the state government for withdrawing Nath’s integrity certificate following a request from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to question him regarding a sub-inspector recruitment case. The bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, asked whether the state was effectively treating Nath as an accused by withholding his certificate.

The court is seeking clarity on the timeline of events, specifically whether the state government was aware of the CBI’s request before submitting names to the UPSC. Additionally, the proceedings have addressed concerns raised by an amicus curiae regarding last-minute promotions and the inclusion of officers promoted to the DG rank after the initial list was submitted, which petitioners argue violates the 2006 Prakash Singh guidelines for transparent police appointments.