The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Punjab government to clarify why it has not appointed a regular director general of police (DGP), despite receiving a three-officer panel from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in July 2026. The court has sought an affidavit from the chief secretary and listed the matter for hearing on October 13.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor said an ad hoc arrangement for the state’s top police post “ought not be allowed for an indefinite period”. The court said the appointment was important for the maintenance of law and order and directed the state to place before it an affidavit informing it about the decision taken on the appointment.
The bench was hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Nikhil Thamman, who appeared in person. The petition alleges that Punjab has not appointed a regular DGP despite Supreme Court directions concerning the selection and minimum tenure of police chiefs.
During the proceedings, the Punjab government informed the high court that it had filed an affidavit through the state’s under secretary. The affidavit stated that the issue was also being monitored by the Supreme Court in Prakash Singh and others versus Union of India, a matter pending as Writ Petition (Civil) No. 310 of 1996. The high court took the affidavit on record.
The state also told the court that Punjab had filed a compliance affidavit before the Supreme Court. According to that affidavit, the state forwarded the complete proposal to the UPSC on April 6 for convening the empanelment committee meeting required to prepare a panel for the appointment. The UPSC empanelment committee later met and, after assessing the candidates, recommended a panel of three officers.
The panel was described in the state affidavit as being under the “active consideration” of the Punjab government, which was taking steps towards the appointment. However, Thamman told the bench that the UPSC had recommended the panel during the first week of July 2026.
The court then questioned why no decision had been taken if the panel had been received in July. “In the event a panel has already been forwarded by the Union Public Service Commission in the first week of July 2026, we would like the state of Punjab to clarify as to why no decision is taken in the matter, when the panel is already received way back in July 2026,” the bench observed.
According to the petition, the post of DGP has been held through an additional-charge arrangement since July 2022. It refers to a July 4, 2022 order under which IPS officer Gaurav Yadav was given additional charge during the leave period of the then incumbent DGP, V K Bhawra. A subsequent order dated September 2, 2022 continued the arrangement “till further orders”.
The high court has now required the chief secretary’s affidavit to set out the decision taken by the state on the appointment. The next hearing is scheduled for October 13.
