The Centre filed a petition before the Supreme Court on Thursday, challenging the appointment of Jharkhand Director General of Police Tadasha Mishra, made on December 30, 2025.
The application was presented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana, who agreed to hear the case.
The Centre’s challenge targets the "Selection and Appointment of Director General and Inspector General of Police, Jharkhand (Head of the Police Force) Regulation, 2025," notified on January 8, 2025, arguing that the state deviated from Supreme Court‑mandated procedures.
It also contests the appointments of IPS officers Anurag Gupta, who was appointed on February 2, 2025 with only three months of service remaining, and Mishra, whose appointment removed the six‑month residual‑service requirement a day before her scheduled superannuation.
The petition cites the Prakash Singh case, under which the Supreme Court has, since 2006, directed that DGPs be selected from a UPSC‑shortlisted panel of three officers, guaranteeing a minimum two‑year tenure irrespective of superannuation dates.
The Centre insists that Jharkhand must implement all of the Court’s prior directions in full, not selectively, and seeks a declaration that the 2025 Regulation is illegal.
A hearing is scheduled for the coming weeks; the court may order the state to re‑open the selection process or invalidate the appointments altogether.
The outcome will affect thousands of police personnel in Jharkhand, many of whom rely on clear, transparent appointments for career stability.