New Delhi: The Central government has approached the Supreme Court challenging the validity of Jharkhand’s 2025 regulations governing the appointment of its Director General of Police (DGP) and the appointments made under those rules.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the Centre’s application before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana. The Supreme Court agreed to list the matter for hearing.
The Centre has alleged that Jharkhand notified its “Selection and Appointment of Director General and Inspector General of Police, Jharkhand (Head of the Police Force) Regulation, 2025” without seeking the Court’s permission, despite earlier directions concerning the procedure for appointing state police chiefs.
Centre Questions Jharkhand’s 2025 DGP Regulation
The Union government has alleged that the State acted in “complete defiance” of the Supreme Court’s directions in Prakash Singh v. Union of India while framing the 2025 regulation.
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The application refers to directions issued by the Supreme Court in 2006 and subsequent orders in 2018 and 2019 concerning the selection and appointment of DGPs.
Under the procedure laid down by the Supreme Court, States are required to send proposals to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in advance of the incumbent DGP’s retirement. The UPSC is then to prepare a panel from which the State selects the DGP.
The Centre has sought directions requiring Jharkhand to follow the Supreme Court’s prescribed procedure and has also sought a declaration that appointments made under the State’s 2025 regulation are illegal.
Anurag Gupta Appointment Also Under Challenge
The Centre has also questioned the appointment of IPS officer Anurag Gupta as Jharkhand DGP on February 2, 2025.
According to the Union government’s application, Gupta had only about three months of service remaining when he was appointed, with his scheduled superannuation on April 30, 2025.
The Ministry of Home Affairs subsequently wrote to the Jharkhand government on April 22, May 3 and May 23, 2025, opposing the appointment, according to the Centre’s plea. Gupta later sought voluntary retirement, which the Jharkhand government accepted in November 2025.
Tadasha Mishra Appointment at Centre of Dispute
The Centre has also challenged the appointment of Tadasha Mishra (IPS: 1994: JH) as Jharkhand DGP on December 30, 2025.
The State had amended its 2025 regulation through a resolution dated December 29, 2025, removing the requirement of six months of residual service. Mishra was appointed DGP the following day, while she was due to retire on December 31, 2025.
The Supreme Court had already been examining the legality of the appointment. In September, the Court was informed by amicus curiae Raju Ramachandran that appointing Mishra a day before her retirement was inconsistent with the principles laid down in the Prakash Singh judgments.
Centre Had Asked Jharkhand to Cancel Regulation
The Ministry of Home Affairs, in a communication dated January 6, 2026, asked Jharkhand to cancel the 2025 regulation and Mishra’s appointment and initiate a fresh DGP selection process in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions, according to the Centre’s application.
The Union government has alleged that Jharkhand “selectively” relied on the Prakash Singh judgment to provide a two-year tenure to its DGPs while departing from the selection procedure prescribed by the Supreme Court.
The application states: “This constitutes a fundamental misapplication of the law.”
The Centre has argued that the Supreme Court’s directions must be implemented in their entirety rather than selectively.
Supreme Court Has Been Monitoring Compliance
The DGP appointment issue has been before the Supreme Court through proceedings challenging Jharkhand’s amended rules and the appointment of Mishra.
The Court had earlier sought a compliance affidavit from the State after noting that an acting DGP was functioning in Jharkhand. It had also sought an explanation regarding why the State’s proposal for appointing a DGP in accordance with the Court’s directions had not been forwarded to the UPSC.
In September, the Court directed the Jharkhand government to respond on the legal validity of its DGP appointment regulations, with the matter scheduled for further hearing.
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