Supreme Court Adjourns Hearing on Odisha DGP Selection Process

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned its hearing on the contentious Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) selection process, with arguments scheduled to resume tomorrow.

The delay prolongs uncertainty over the appointment of a permanent police chief following the retirement of the previous DGP.

At the heart of the dispute is whether the state government acted within rules by expanding the zone of consideration mid‑process.

Initially, Odisha submitted a three‑member panel of DG‑rank officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on May 14.

However, after two Additional DGPs were promoted in August, the list was modified.

Amicus Curiae Raju Ramachandran questioned the legality of such changes, stressing that empanelment rules require consistency.

Another point of contention is the exclusion of senior IPS officer Susanta Kumar Nath (1993 batch).

His integrity certificate was withheld by the state citing preliminary CBI enquiries, though no formal charges or interrogation requests exist.

The Amicus argued that Nath’s omission raises concerns about fairness and transparency.

The case is being examined under the framework of the landmark 2006 Prakash Singh v. Union of India judgment, which mandates that state police chiefs be appointed transparently from a UPSC‑approved panel of the three senior‑most eligible IPS officers.

The Supreme Court will reconvene tomorrow to hear further arguments from the state government, petitioners, and the Amicus before issuing directions.