Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has declined to pass any specific order on a petition seeking directions for the appointment of a regular Director General of Police (DGP) in the state.
The court took note of submissions made by Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy, who informed that a panel of three empanelled IPS officers has already been forwarded to the competent authority for consideration.
Court Notes Appointment Process Underway
During the hearing, the Advocate General submitted that the process for appointing a regular DGP is already in motion. He informed the bench that a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary was held on March 11 to deliberate on the issue, and the file is currently under process.
The selection is expected to be made from a panel of three shortlisted IPS officers, in line with established procedures.
Petition Challenges In-Charge DGP Appointment
The matter came up before Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy in a writ petition filed by T. Dhangopal Rao.
The petitioner challenged the appointment of B. Shivadhar Reddy as in-charge DGP, arguing that such a position is not recognized under the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.
Reference to Supreme Court Guidelines
The petitioner cited the landmark Prakash Singh case 2006, in which the Supreme Court laid down clear guidelines regarding the appointment and tenure of DGPs across states.
According to these guidelines, the appointment of a DGP must be made from a panel of senior officers empanelled by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), and the officer should be given a minimum fixed tenure to ensure stability and independence in policing.
Next Hearing on April 27
After considering the submissions, the High Court declined to issue any immediate directions, noting that the appointment process is already underway.
The matter has now been posted for further hearing on April 27, 2026.
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