Supreme Court flags Jharkhand police appointment rules as conflicting with prior verdict

The Supreme Court on Thursday questioned the constitutional validity of Jharkhand's recently notified rules governing the appointment of its director general of police, stating they appear to conflict with a previous court decision.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, alongside Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, expressed concern over the "Selection and Appointment of Director General and Inspector General of Police, Jharkhand (Head of the Police Force) Regulation, 2025", which the state government notified on January 8. The court issued notices seeking responses from IPS officer Tadasha Mishra, who was recently appointed as Jharkhand's police chief, as well as from both the state and Union governments.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Jharkhand government, informed the bench that the state would be willing to revisit the regulations. The court acknowledged that any modification to the rules could affect Mishra's appointment, and therefore granted her an opportunity to file her response in the matter.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, reiterated that the Union government had previously conveyed concerns to Jharkhand about the regulations, asserting they were inconsistent with established Supreme Court precedent on police recruitment and appointments.

The matter now stands for further hearing as the court awaits formal responses from all parties involved.