A second contempt petition has been filed against the State of Tamil Nadu in the ongoing dispute over the appointment of a regular Director General of Police (DGP)/Chief of Police Force (HoPF).
Madurai-based rights activist Henri Tiphagne raised contempt against the chief secretary of the state for not appointing a regular DGP/HoPF despite receiving the list of empaneled officers approved by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
SC guidelines
In his petition, he said the state’s action violates the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh case.
Dismissing his earlier contempt plea, the Supreme Court ordered the UPSC to expeditiously complete the empanelment process and directed the state government to take immediate steps to appoint a regular DGP.
Currently, G. Venkatraman is holding the post of Acting DGP Tamil Nadu after the retirement of the then Acting HoPF Shankar Jiwala.
Pursuant to the Supreme Court order, UPSC has convened an empaneled committee meeting in Delhi on 26 September 2025 to select a panel of three officers of the rank of DGP suitable for appointment to the post of DGP/HoPF.
After the meeting, Mr. Tiphagne said that the names of the three DGPs have been finalized and sent to the Tamil Nadu government by the UPSC. However, after receiving the list of officers eligible for appointment, the state failed to fulfill its obligation to promptly take the necessary steps based on the communication of the UPSC committee to appoint a regular DGP.
“The state has not issued a notification regarding the appointment for more than 15 days from the date of communication from the UPSC committee. It is pertinent to note that the ad-hoc / acting DGP continues to hold office from August 31, 2025 till date. This is a clear violation of the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court,” Mr. Tiphagne added.
Published – 19 October 2025 23:11 IST
