Odisha appoints acting police chief amid Supreme Court scrutiny of selection process

Odisha has appointed senior Indian Police Service officer Vinaytosh Mishra as acting director general of police, a move that comes as the state awaits a Supreme Court decision on its selection process for the top police post. Mishra, currently director general of the Crime Branch and Criminal Investigation Department, will hold the additional charge of DGP following the retirement of incumbent Y.B. Khurania on August 16.

“

Any backdoor entry is not acceptable…UPSC must not finalise till the next date of hearing.

The appointment was made a day after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) assured the Supreme Court that it would postpone its selection process for Odisha's next police chief until August 18. The court is currently reviewing a public interest litigation that challenges the state government's procedure for appointing the DGP.

This intervention by the Supreme Court stems from allegations that the Odisha government attempted to bypass the court-mandated procedure for DGP appointments. The petitioner claims that officers not on the original list of the three most senior eligible candidates were being introduced into the selection process. The Supreme Court has emphasized that "any backdoor entry is not acceptable" and urged the UPSC not to finalize the selection until the next hearing.

“

The State of Odisha is breaching the Prakash Singh judgment.

The dispute highlights a broader issue concerning police reforms and appointment procedures, particularly referencing the Supreme Court's 2006 Prakash Singh case judgment. This ruling established a framework requiring states to select DGPs from a panel prepared by the UPSC, ensuring that eligibility criteria are met and that the process is transparent. The court has also stressed that the number of eligible officers should not be a reason to bypass these established criteria.

“

The DGP is set to retire ... if no appointment happens, we will have an Acting DGP.