The State government on Friday said that it had strictly adhered to the Supreme Court guidelines in the appointment of Letika Saran as the Director-General of Police (DGP), Tamil Nadu.
Reacting to the Madras High Court order annulling the appointment of Ms. Saran, the State government said it would take appropriate steps as per law in consultation with legal experts after carefully considering the text of the judgment.
An official release stated: “The DGP was selected after considering the names of all the police officers who were then working in the State in the DGP cadre. The performance and experience were also taken into consideration. Since it is a selection post, it is not done only on the basis of seniority.”
Though the Supreme Court had entrusted with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) the responsibility of preparing the list of prospective DGPs for all States, the UPSC had conveyed to the court that it required the guidance of the Centre.
But, neither the Supreme Court nor the Centre had issued any orders.
This point was stressed by the Commission in the counter filed before the Madras High Court.
The State government had also sent two letters to the Union Home Ministry, and the Advocate-General had brought this to the notice of the High Court.
“Since the UPSC was not in a position to prepare the list, all the police officers who were working in the State in the DGP cadre were considered and, finally, Ms. Saran was selected and appointed the DGP,” the release added.
