Ranchi, Sept 25: The Supreme Court will hear on September 29 a challenge to the appointment of IPS officer Tadasha Mishra as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Jharkhand, with questions being raised over the process followed by the state government.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant is scheduled to consider the matter. The case was mentioned before the apex court during proceedings related to the appointment of the Odisha DGP, following which the court agreed to take up the Jharkhand matter.
Mishra, a 1994-batch IPS officer of the Jharkhand cadre, was appointed as the state’s full-time DGP on December 30, 2025, a day before her scheduled retirement on December 31.The appointment has been challenged on the ground that it allegedly did not comply with principles laid down by the Supreme Court in its earlier judgments on police reforms, including those concerning the selection of state police chiefs.
An amicus curiae assisting the court has reportedly questioned the appointment, pointing to the principle concerning a minimum period of residual service for officers being considered for the post of DGP.The Jharkhand government, meanwhile, had framed separate rules in 2025 governing the selection and appointment of the head of the state police force.
The challenge also questions the legal basis and validity of these rules.Former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP leader Babulal Marandi has challenged both Mishra’s appointment and the state’s 2025 rules.
During the proceedings, questions were also raised over whether the state government had adequate legal authority to frame rules governing the appointment of officers belonging to the All India Services.
The Supreme Court has previously issued a show-cause notice to the Jharkhand government in connection with the appointment.The matter involves questions concerning the interaction between state police appointment rules, the Supreme Court’s directions on police reforms and the legal framework governing All India Service officers.
The September 29 hearing is expected to consider the validity of the appointment as well as the legal challenges raised against the Jharkhand government’s rules. The court’s observations during earlier proceedings are not a final determination of the matter.
