The appointment of Jharkhand’s Director General of Police (DGP) has sparked a political storm in the state.
BJP state president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi has strongly opposed the appointment of Anurag Gupta as the state’s regular DGP, calling it a violation of Supreme Court directives. He has urged the Jharkhand High Court to take suo motu cognizance of the matter.
The BJP claims that the Hemant Soren government appointed a tainted officer to the top police post, disregarding due process. Marandi pointed out that on January 7, the state cabinet had decided to form a selection committee, comprising a retired judge, the Chief Secretary, a Public Service Commission member, and the JPSC chairman, to shortlist candidates for the DGP post.
However, the government bypassed this process and directly appointed Gupta.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s 2006 directive, BJP leaders argued that DGP appointments must be based on recommendations from the State Public Service Commission unless specific laws are enacted. The party accused the Jharkhand government of flouting these guidelines by appointing Gupta without a proper selection process.
BJP also raised concerns over Gupta’s past, alleging his involvement in electoral malpractices during the 2024 assembly elections. Marandi demanded a CBI probe into his tenure, questioning why an officer removed by the Election Commission was reinstated as DGP.
Despite the controversy, the Jharkhand government has officially notified Anurag Gupta’s appointment as the regular DGP. A 1990-batch IPS officer, Gupta previously served as the Director General of Crime Investigation and held charge as acting DGP.
This isn’t the first time Jharkhand’s DGP appointment has triggered a dispute. During the 2024 assembly elections, the Election Commission replaced Anurag Gupta with Ajay Kumar Singh.
However, after Hemant Soren’s government returned to power, Gupta was reinstated as acting DGP and has now been granted a permanent position.
With BJP pushing for judicial scrutiny, all eyes are now on the Jharkhand High Court. Will it take suo motu cognizance of the matter? And does Gupta’s appointment violate the Supreme Court’s 2006 order? As legal and political battles loom, the controversy is far from over.