The process of appointing a regular Director-General of Police (DGP) and Head of Police Force (HoPF) for Tamil Nadu has been initiated again after a recent Supreme Court directive. The Court mandated that the selection must be completed within three weeks. This action follows a contempt petition filed by Kishore K. Swamy, a petitioner from Chennai, who alleged the State government’s non-compliance with the Apex Court’s guidelines on DGP appointments.
Senior officials are now engaging in discussions to finalize a new panel of eligible DGP-rank officers for submission to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) as per the Court’s instructions. Under the Supreme Court’s framework established in the Prakash Singh case, the State government is required to send a list of eligible officers to the UPSC, which will then shortlist three names.
The State will appoint one officer from this list as DGP/HoPF, ensuring a minimum tenure of two years regardless of the officer’s superannuation date. The State is anticipated to forward its panel to the UPSC within a week, with the UPSC having two weeks to finalize the shortlist. Seema Agrawal, Rajeev Kumar, and Sandeep Rai Rathore are the top contenders based on seniority, as per official sources.
