The Supreme Court agreed last Friday to reconsider its July 3 directions on the UPSC's involvement in the appointment of state DGP following the pleas of Bihar, Bengal and Punjab seeking the modification of the earlier order. The apex court has fixed December 7 as the date for hearing the pleas of Bihar and Punjab government.

The top court, on July 3 this year, passed a slew of directions on police reforms in the country and listed out the steps for appointment of regular DGPs. It stated that the States will have to send a list of senior police officers to the UPSC at least three months prior to the retirement of the incumbent. The commission will then prepare a panel and intimate to the States, which in turn will immediately appoint one of the persons from that list.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S.K. Kaul was on Friday told by the governments of Bihar and Punjab that the July 3 order needed to be modified as they have already come out with State laws to deal with the issue of appointment of DGP.

Lawyer Shoeb Alam, appearing for Bihar, said the State has already framed a comprehensive law, dealing with various aspects including the procedures to appoint the DGP, in pursuance of the 2006 apex court verdict on police reforms. He said the apex court’s direction on the appointment of the DGP needed to be modified.

Senior lawyer P. Chidambaram appeared for the Punjab government.