Ranchi: The Supreme Court will on Thursday, October 8, 2026, hear the Centre’s plea seeking contempt proceedings against the Jharkhand government and others over the appointment of 1994 Batch IPS Tadasha Mishra as the state’s Director General of Police (DGP).
A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, agreed to list the Centre’s plea along with other pending petitions concerning Mishra’s appointment. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, requested that the contempt plea also be taken up.
Appointment Made a Day Before Retirement
The Centre’s challenge relates to the timing of Mishra’s appointment. The Jharkhand government appointed her as full-time DGP on December 30, 2025, while she was scheduled to retire on December 31.
The Centre has alleged that the appointment was contrary to the Supreme Court’s directions in the Prakash Singh judgments, which require a candidate for the post of state DGP to have at least six months of residual service at the time of appointment.
The issue had earlier come before the Supreme Court through petitions challenging the manner in which Jharkhand appointed its police chief.
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Amicus Curiae Had Also Raised the Issue
Senior advocate and amicus curiae Raju Ramchandran, who is assisting the Supreme Court in matters concerning DGP appointments by states, had earlier submitted that Mishra’s appointment one day before her retirement was in violation of the principles laid down in the Prakash Singh judgments.
The amicus had also raised concerns over provisions of Jharkhand’s 2025 DGP appointment rules and their implications for the independence and tenure of the state police chief.
The Supreme Court had earlier been told that appointing an officer with only one day of service remaining was inconsistent with the requirement of residual service.
What the Supreme Court Will Consider
The Centre is now seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against the Jharkhand government and others, alleging non-compliance with the apex court’s directions.
The Supreme Court is also scheduled to consider other petitions related to the appointment of Mishra as DGP.
The hearing on October 8 will therefore be significant in determining how the court proceeds with the challenge and the Centre’s contempt plea. The listing of the plea does not itself mean that contempt has been established.
The case also has wider implications for the appointment of state police chiefs, particularly the requirement that such appointments follow the principles laid down by the Supreme Court to ensure stability, merit and institutional independence.
