Ranchi, Feb 5 (IANS): A controversy has erupted over the appointment of Jharkhand's Director General of Police (DGP). State BJP President Babulal Marandi has accused the Hemant Soren government of violating Supreme Court directives and bypassing UPSC guidelines in the selection process.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office here on Wednesday, Marandi alleged that the state government hastily introduced a new rule to appoint an IPS officer set to retire in April 2025 and granted him an extension until April 2026.
He asserted that such a rule can't be enacted through an executive order without legislative approval and that even the newly framed rule was not followed properly.
Citing the 2006 Supreme Court ruling in Prakash Singh vs Union of India, Marandi emphasised that a DGP must be appointed from a panel recommended by the UPSC. However, he claimed that the Hemant Soren government ignored this mandate and appointed Anurag Gupta, whose name was not on the UPSC-recommended list.
Terming the appointment a "direct attack on the Constitution and the judiciary," Marandi accused the government of using the police force for political purposes.
The BJP leader further alleged that Anurag Gupta, a controversial officer, had previously been suspended for two years due to election-related irregularities.
He pointed out that the Election Commission had removed Gupta from his post during the elections held in the month of November last year and barred him from election duties, yet the Soren government reappointed him as DGP soon after the elections.
“Has he been given a reward for rigging the elections,” Marandi questioned.
He urged the Jharkhand High Court to take suo motu cognisance of the issue and vowed that the BJP would pursue the matter through legal and political means.
A contempt petition has already been filed before the Supreme Court against the State of Jharkhand for deliberate non-compliance with the directions passed by the court in a case concerning the appointment of the Director General of Police (DGP) in the state.