jharkhand-hc-gives-time-to-govt-to-reply-in-dgp-case

The Jharkhand High Court on Monday granted an additional opportunity to the State government, Central government, and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to file their responses in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Babulal Marandi, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

 

Advocate Sumit Garodia, representing Marandi, informed the court that the matter is now scheduled for its next hearing on 15 July, as the respondents had not yet submitted their replies.

 

During proceedings before the bench of Chief Justice S. Ramchandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roshan, Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan informed the court that a related case is currently pending before the Supreme Court.

 

Marandi's PIL challenges the appointment of Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta, terming it unconstitutional and a breach of a Supreme Court directive.

 

Marandi has alleged that the State government ignored established constitutional procedures and manipulated the police machinery for political purposes.

 

He pointed out that the Supreme Court had made it mandatory for DGP appointments to be routed through the UPSC unless an appropriate law was passed by the state legislature.

 

Instead of legislating, the state framed a rule in 2025 and attempted to apply it retrospectively—an action Marandi argues lacks legal foundation. He further claimed the appointment process was illegal and urged the Chief Justice of the High Court to take suo motu cognisance and order a CBI investigation.

 

Marandi also highlighted that Gupta, previously accused in an election fraud case and suspended for a significant period, was rapidly appointed DGP despite being set to retire in April 2025.

 

He alleged that the move was a deliberate attempt to extend Gupta’s tenure, even though the Election Commission had earlier barred him from poll-related duties due to his tainted record.

 

Marandi has additionally filed a contempt petition in the Supreme Court, challenging the DGP appointment rules as unconstitutional and in violation of previous apex court judgments.

 

Meanwhile, the Accountant General’s office in Jharkhand has not issued salary to DGP Anurag Gupta after April 2025, as his retirement date fell on 30 April and no official extension was communicated.

 

Notifications have been sent to both Gupta and the treasury department, indicating that he is no longer eligible to receive salary beyond April.