Supreme Court clears way for Manipur to appoint DGP from outside cadre

Guwahati: The Supreme Court has allowed the Manipur government to appoint a Director General of Police from outside the state cadre. A bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, allowed an application moved by the Manipur government.

The term ofincumbent DGP Rajiv Singh, who belongs to the Tripura cadre, is coming to an end on May 31.

The state government has moved an application citing the ongoing ethnic strife. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that from among the eligible candidates, "we are not able to find the person of that competence".


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"We find merit in the prayer. The application is allowed. The state of Manipur is permitted to appoint the Deputy Inspector General of Police from outside the Manipur cadre," the bench ordered.

Manipur Police chief Rajiv Singh was appointed as secretary (security) in the Cabinet secretariat.

Ladak DGP Mukesh Singh is likely to be the new DGP of Manipur.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) had recently approved the transfer of DGP, Ladakh, Mukesh Singh, to Manipur on inter-cadre deputation for three years.

As per an official order issued recently by the Department of Personnel and Training under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the decision follows a proposal received from the Ministry of Home Affairs dated May 15, 2026.

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The approval has been accorded as a special case in public interest, with relaxation of the standard rules governing inter-cadre deputation and waiver of the mandatory cooling-off period after central deputation.

Mukesh Singh, an IPS officer of AGMUT cadre, also worked in the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Singh has been associated with counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir and at NIA.

On June 1, 2023, at the height of violence in Manipur, Rajiv Singh was made DGP of Manipur replacing state police chief P Doungel.