Supreme Court Refuses To Interfere With Kashmir Top Cop's Appointment

The Supreme Court today refused to interfere with the Jammu and Kashmir government appointing an acting director general of police (DGP).

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud issued notice and sought a reply from the Centre.

The state had, on September 6, appointed Dilbagh Singh as acting police chief, replacing SP Vaid who was posted as transport commissioner.

During the hearing, Attorney General KK Venugopal, who appeared for the Centre, said the prohibition to appoint an acting DGP was introduced to prevent misuse of the two-year fixed tenure given in an earlier verdict of the top court.

Advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for Jammu and Kashmir, said the appointment of an acting DGP was purely an interim measure to tide over the peculiar situation till a regular appointment was made in consultation with UPSC.

"We cannot afford the police force to be without a chief," he said, citing the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir.