The Supreme Court on Monday disposed of a special leave petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government challenging the Madras High Court judgment quashing the appointment of Letika Saran as the State Director-General of Police.
A Bench of Justice D.K. Jain and Justice H.L. Dattu disposed of the SLP after senior counsel T.R. Andhyarujina, appearing for the State, said that after the receipt of a panel of names of three IPS officers from the Union Public Service Commission, the State had appointed Ms. Saran as the DGP and that the matter had become infructuous.
However, counsel Guru Krishnakumar, appearing for Mr. Nataraj, said that the disposal of the SLP should not mean that the court was giving its seal of approval for her appointment on merits and “we want to agitate the matter since the petitioner is the senior-most person.”
Justice Jain orally observed: “The scope of the SLP is confined to the question whether appointment could be made without empanelment by the UPSC. We will dispose it off as nothing survives.” By its October 8 judgment, the High Court had set aside Ms. Saran's appointment on the ground that the Supreme Court directions in Prakash Singh's case had not been followed and had asked the State to forward a panel of names of senior IPS officers to the UPSC, which would send a list of three officers to enable the State to appoint one person as the DGP.
On October 21, after the Bench refused to pass any interim order, the UPSC sent a panel of names to the State and, thereafter, the State appointed Ms. Saran as DGP.
Correction
(In the news report, “Appeal against High Court order on Letika Saran disposed of” (December 14, 2010, some editions), the phrasal verb “disposed of” was misspelt as “disposed off” in the text, leading to queries from some readers. “Disposed of” is correct.)
Published - December 14, 2010 12:55 am IST
