NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea from the Centre on Thursday, which seeks to initiate contempt proceedings against the Jharkhand government for appointing senior IPS officer Tadasha Mishra as the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) on December 30, 2025, a mere day prior to her retirement.
A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, was approached by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, requesting that this contempt motion be heard alongside other pending cases.
The court is set to address additional petitions concerning Mishra’s appointment, which is claimed to violate the Supreme Court’s established protocols regarding DGP appointments.
Previously, the Chief Justice indicated that the Centre’s plea would also be considered during Thursday’s session.
The Jharkhand government’s decision to appoint Mishra as DGP on December 30, 2025, contravenes a Supreme Court guideline stating that an officer must possess at least six months of service remaining when assuming the role. This point was highlighted earlier by senior advocate and amicus curiae Raju Ramchandran.
Ramchandran has been assisting the bench in examining allegations of several states’ non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives regarding DGP appointment procedures.
The landmark Prakash Singh rulings dictate that to be eligible for the DGP position, an officer must have a minimum of six months of remaining service to ensure stability and merit in leadership.
By appointing Mishra to the role just 24 hours before her retirement, the state effectively extended her tenure by two years.
The 2006 Supreme Court ruling and subsequent directives in the Prakash Singh case specified that the DGP for a state should be chosen from among the three senior-most officers in the department who have been approved for promotion by the UPSC, based on their service length, exemplary records, and extensive experience in leading the police force.
Additionally, once appointed, the officer should have a guaranteed minimum tenure of at least two years, irrespective of their retirement date.
