Jharkhand DGP appointment violates apex court directions: Centre in Supreme Court

New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the appointment of Tadasha Mishra as Jharkhand director general of police, alleging that the state government acted in violation of the apex court's directions governing the appointment of police chiefs.

The plea, filed in the long-running Prakash Singh police reforms case, challenges the legality of the Selection and Appointment of Director General and Inspector General of Police, Jharkhand (Head of the Police Force) Regulation, 2025, under which the appointments were made.

The Centre has sought a direction to Jharkhand to comply with the Supreme Court's directions on DGP appointments and has alternatively sought a declaration that appointments made under the 2025 regulation are illegal.


The application takes particular objection to Mishra's appointment on December 30, 2025, a day before she was due to retire. It contends that the state amended its regulations on December 29 to remove the requirement of at least six months of residual service for appointment as DGP, thereby paving the way for Mishra's appointment.

The Centre has also challenged the earlier appointment of Anurag Gupta as DGP on February 2, 2025. Gupta had around three months of service remaining at the time and retired on April 30, 2025.

The Centre has contended that the state could not selectively rely on the Supreme Court's directions providing a two-year tenure to DGPs while departing from the prescribed procedure for their selection.

A three-member bench headed by CJI Surya Kant agreed to list the Centre's plea for hearing on Thursday.

Under the apex court's directions in the Prakash Singh case, states are required to appoint the DGP from a panel of officers prepared by the Union Public Service Commission on the basis of seniority, service record and experience.