DMK asks TN govt to rescind DGP appointment

The DMK today urged the Tamil Nadu government to cancel the appointment of senior IPS official T K Rajendran as Director General of Police, made last year. Raising the issue in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition MK Stalin said the state government had last year appointed Rajendran as DGP who was about to retire at that time. The present DGP had been incharge DGP for ten months and later on the day of his retirement on 30 June 2017, he was appointed as head of the State police force at 11.30 PM, he recalled.

Citing the 3 July 2018 Supreme Court judgment on police reforms, the DMK leader said the official's appointment should be canceled and a new head should be named toeing the directions of the apex court aimed at police reforms. Stalin said the incumbent DGP's name figured in a probe by the CBI. Recently, the Madras High Court had directed a CBI probe into Gutkha scam and Rajendran's name figured in the scandal.

Several IPS officers felt that their chances of elevation to the top post were "snatched away," (in view of extension of tenure to the incumbent), he said. It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had given several directions on police reforms restraining all states and union territories from appointing any police officer as acting DGPs to avoid favouritism. The top court had said that some States adopted a practice to appoint DGP on the last date of retirement, as a consequence of which the person continued for two years after his date of superannuation.

"Such a practice will not be in conformity with the spirit of the direction," the court had said. In his reply, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said the DGP's appointment was made following the Supreme Court guidelines that were already in force. "The Supreme Court has given new guidelines in its interim order. Tamil Nadu government will follow it in future appointments," he said. The Chief Minister also said during the hearing,Attorney General K K Venugopal had pointed out that Tamil Nadu was among the only five states to approach the UPSC for empanelment of police officers for the post of DGP.