Centre sends third letter to Jharkhand govt, demands DGP Anurag Gupta's removal

Ranchi, May 28 (IANS) The tussle between the Centre and the Jharkhand government over the tenure of Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta has escalated, with the Union Home Ministry writing a third letter in a month, urging the state to relieve the 1990-batch IPS officer from the post immediately.

The Central government maintains that Gupta, having turned 60 on April 30, 2025, stands retired as per All India Services (AIS) rules and cannot continue in service.

The state government, on the other hand, has retained him, citing recently introduced DGP appointment rules in Jharkhand.

In its latest letter, the Union Home Ministry reiterated that the state’s move to extend Gupta’s tenure violates the Supreme Court’s directives in the landmark Prakash Singh vs Union of India case, which mandates fixed tenures for DGPs selected from a panel cleared by the UPSC and bars post-retirement appointments.

The Accountant General (AG) of Jharkhand has also clarified in writing that Anurag Gupta’s retirement date is April 30, 2025, and no official communication regarding the extension of his tenure has been received.

Accordingly, salary has only been disbursed up to his date of retirement.

Citing these communications, Leader of Opposition and BJP state president Babulal Marandi has slammed the Hemant Soren government, terming Gupta’s continuation as “illegal and unconstitutional".

Taking to social media platforms, Marandi tagged Chief Minister Hemant Soren and wrote: “The state’s top police post has remained vacant for over a month. This clearly reflects the government’s negligence toward public safety.”

In a more pointed remark, Marandi warned: "By ignoring the Centre’s letter and not appointing a new DGP, you are encouraging a constitutional crisis. Hemant ji, the liquor scam heat will eventually reach you. There’s still time… take sound legal advice. Otherwise, just like your former Principal Secretary, unconstitutionally retaining Anurag Gupta could prove costly."

--IANS

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