The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has shortlisted three Haryana IPS officers — Muhammad Akil and RC Mishra (1989 batch) and Shatrujeet Kapur (1990 batch) — for the post of next director general of police (DGP), on Thursday.
Officials said keeping in view his proximity to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Kapur, at present posted as the director general, anti-corruption bureau (ACB), seems an obvious choice to succeed incumbent DGP PK Agrawal, whose term ends on August 15.
An empanelment committee of the UPSC in New Delhi decided to overlook the name of senior most Haryana IPS officer Manoj Yadava as the officer has expressed his unwillingness to return to his parent cadre and was recently appointed as the director general, Railway Protection Force (RPF), a Central government assignment.
Govt refused to send service record of Yadava to UPSC
The commission had earlier written to the state government seeking Yadava’s service record so as to make it a part of the proposal sent by the latter for selection of the next DGP in light of the SC directives and MHA undertakings in the apex court that the consent of an officer is not required for the purpose of empanelment as the DGP of the state. The MHA response before the SC came during the January hearing of an interlocutory application filed by the Nagaland government in the Supreme Court.
The UPSC communique to the state government came after the Haryana government omitted Yadava’s name from the proposal containing the names of nine IPS officers to the UPSC for shortlisting three officers for the job of state police chief. Yadava, who remained Haryana DGP from 2019 to 2021, is on Central deputation.
{{/usCountry}}The UPSC communique to the state government came after the Haryana government omitted Yadava’s name from the proposal containing the names of nine IPS officers to the UPSC for shortlisting three officers for the job of state police chief. Yadava, who remained Haryana DGP from 2019 to 2021, is on Central deputation.
{{/usCountry}}However, the state government refused to send Yadava’s service record stating his unwillingness and his appointment as the RPF DG. The move to not send Yadava’s service record was primarily aimed at ensuring that three IPS officers serving in the state — Muhammad Akil, RC Mishra and Shatrujeet Kapur — gets empanelled on the basis of seniority, merit and experience by the commission. If Yadava was to figure in the panel of three, it would have meant that Kapur would have been left out.
Kerala precedent cited
The MHA officials, who were present in the meeting, it is learnt, cited the Kerala precedent. A Kerala cadre IPS officer, Nitin Agrawal of 1989 batch, who was on Central deputation like Yadava, had figured among the eight IPS officers whose names were sent to the UPSC for empanelment as the DGP. Agrawal, who was on Central deputation with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was subsequently appointed as the director general, Border Security Force (BSF), in June and his name did not figure in the panel of three IPS officers prepared by the UPSC.
Consent of officer not required: MHA
The SC on January 9, 2023, while hearing an interlocutory application had asked the MHA to file an affidavit on whether concurrence of an officer is necessary for empanelling him/her for appointment as the DGP where the officer is on Central deputation and whether the services of A Sunil Achaya were required due to the exigencies of service on Central deputation or whether he can be empanelled for the post of the DGP, Nagaland, in view of the fact that a sufficient number of eligible officers are not available for empanelment. The MHA clarified the position stating that the consent of the officer is not required for the purpose of empanelment as DGP of the state but since Achaya is on Central deputation, posted as the additional secretary in the cabinet secretariat, having regard to the nature of the posting, it would not be possible to relieve him for appointment as the Nagaland DGP.