Supreme Court Stays Order On Transfer Of Himachal DGP

The Supreme Court today stayed the order of the Himachal Pradesh High Court asking the state government to shift senior IPS officer Sanjay Kundu from the post of Director General of Police (DGP). The decision to shift him was taken to stop him from influencing the probe into the alleged harassment of Palampur businessman Nishant Sharma.

The Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, granted liberty to Kundu to move the high court to seek recall of its December 26 order.

The bench said till the recall application is disposed of by the high court, the direction for transfer of Kundu from the post of DGP of the state shall remain stayed.

The Supreme Court requested the high court to dispose of the recall application within two weeks.

Sanjay Kundu was on Tuesday removed from the post of Himachal DGP and posted as Principal Secretary, Ayush department.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court had on December 26 ordered the State government to shift the DGP and Kangra Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri to other posts before January 4, 2024 to ensure that "they didn't have an opportunity to influence the investigation".

The businessman had sought the High Court's intervention on the grounds that he needed protection from powerful people as he was living in constant fear of being killed.

Kundu's lawyer had told the Supreme Court that the matter was "extraordinary" as the high court did not hear the officer before directing the state government to shift him.