Odisha DGP appointment row: Supreme Court to hear plea alleging bypass of selection norms

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to urgently hear a public interest litigation (PIL) alleging that the Odisha government was attempting to circumvent the prescribed procedure for appointing the State’s Director General of Police ( DGP ) by including ineligible officers in the panel sent to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana agreed to list the matter on Wednesday, August 12, after senior advocate P Chidambaram, appearing for the petitioner, mentioned the case. Chidambaram alleged that the Odisha government had withdrawn an earlier panel of officers sent to the UPSC and was now preparing a fresh list. He further claimed that the State was seeking to first promote an Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) to the DGP rank and subsequently include the officer in the revised panel. Taking note of the submissions, CJI Surya Kant said the UPSC was aware of the eligibility criteria and expected it to act in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions. “They (UPSC) are well aware of who is eligible and who can be considered. If a panel of ineligible officers is being sent, we expect the UPSC to act in accordance with our directions,” the CJI observed. Supreme Court directions on DGP appointment The dispute centres on the procedure laid down by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh v Union of India case concerning the appointment of state police chiefs. In February 2026, the Supreme Court reiterated that States must follow the prescribed procedure for appointing DGPs. Under the framework, the UPSC is required to prepare a panel of eligible officers, following which the State government must appoint the DGP from among those empanelled. The Court has also made it clear that the prescribed eligibility criteria cannot be bypassed merely because the number of eligible officers is limited. Under the existing framework, the apex-level DGP post in Level 17 is to be filled through selection from among officers holding DGP-level posts in Level 16. The Supreme Court had also directed States facing disputes over DGP appointments to adhere to the prescribed procedure and required the UPSC to make its recommendations within the stipulated timeframe after receiving a revised proposal from the concerned State. Odisha DGP selection process The issue has assumed significance in Odisha with incumbent DGP YB Khurania scheduled to retire on August 31. The Odisha government had initially forwarded three names before subsequently sending a wider panel of 11 senior IPS officers to the UPSC. The Commission was scheduled to meet on August 7 to shortlist three officers for consideration for the top police post. According to Chidambaram, the State had sent a panel to the UPSC in April but later withdrew it. A second panel comprising three DGPs and eight ADGPs was subsequently sent in May. He told the Bench that the UPSC had indicated on August 7 that it would consider only officers holding DGP-level posts. “On August 7, the UPSC demurred and said, ‘We will only consider the DGP level.’ Then, on the meeting day, or the previous day, or during the meeting, they purported to withdraw the list. They are now frantically trying to prepare another list and send it,” Chidambaram submitted. He also pointed out that the Supreme Court had earlier permitted the UPSC to approach it if a State failed to submit a panel comprising eligible officers. The CJI reiterated that the UPSC was aware of the eligibility requirements and said, “We expect the UPSC to adhere to our judgment.” The Bench accordingly agreed to hear the matter on Wednesday. Two senior IPS officers promoted to DGP rank Meanwhile, the Odisha government has promoted two senior IPS officers, Sanjeeb Panda and YK Jethwa , to the rank of DGP following approval from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. Both officers belong to the 1994-batch IPS cadre and were elevated from ADGP to DGP rank. Panda is currently serving as ADG in charge of anti-Naxal operations and the Special Intelligence Wing. Jethwa is serving as Director of Vigilance and had earlier been on central deputation between 2015 and 2020, during which he served as Inspector General in the Special Protection Group (SPG) under the Prime Minister’s Office. The Supreme Court’s hearing on Wednesday is expected to bring greater clarity to the eligibility and selection process for Odisha’s next DGP.