The Gujarat High Court today ordered the state government to appoint a regular Director General of Police within eight weeks.
The order came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging the appointment of in-charge DGP.
The division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice V M Pancholi ordered the state government to "initiate the process and make necessary selection by following the procedure and appoint a DGP on a regular basis, within a period of eight weeks from the date of receipt of this order".
The PIL, filed by former IPS officer Rahul Sharma, had sought the court's direction for appointment of a full-time DGP in the state.
Not appointing a regular DGP "is contrary to the provisions of the existing laws", it said.
The state had said that the appointment of a regular DGP was delayed due to the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the state Assembly elections.
The Election Commission, which was made a respondent to the PIL, had told the court that the state submitted three names to it for the appointment of in-charge DGP after the then in-charge DGP, Geeta Johri, retired.
As per the PIL, Gujarat has not had a permanent DGP since April 15, 2016, when incumbent P C Thakur was suddenly transferred and replaced by in-charge DGP P P Pandey.
A petition in the Supreme Court by former IPS officer Julio Ribeiro had led the state government to revoke Pandey's appointment, following which Johri was appointed.
"Regular appointment to the post of the DGP is a matter of public interest. Appointment of a regular, full-time DGP is the first prescription of the rule of law," the PIL said, adding that "an in-charge DGP makes him vulnerable to political machinations and pressure and thereby weakens the police administration and functioning.
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