Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta’s Resignation Ends Centre-State Row, Legal Battle

All through his tenure as the DGP of Jharkhand, Gupta remained shrouded in one controversy or another, which finally led to a direct showdown between the Centre and the state government. Once, he was even temporarily removed from the post by the Election Commission during the conduct of the Assembly polls in the state last year in October-November.

Late last week Gupta had put in his papers to Chief Minister Hemant Soren after remaining in office for a little over seven months since his date of superannuation (April 30, 2025). The controversy intensified after Gupta was retained as DGP even after his retirement by the Hemant Soren government.

The central government, through a letter from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the cadre controlling authority, had rejected the state government’s decision to extend Gupta’s tenure beyond his superannuation date.

The MHA had also issued a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, stating that the decision to retain Anurag Gupta as DGP beyond his retirement date was incorrect and legally not maintainable.

Anurag Gupta was appointed DGP on February 3 following a state government notification, which stated that his tenure would be in accordance with Rule 10(1) of the Selection and Appointment Rules 2025 of Director General and Inspector General of Police, Jharkhand (Chief of Police Force). However, according to the MHA communication, he officially retired on April 30, 2025.

Earlier, Gupta had assumed charge as in-charge DGP of Jharkhand on July 26, 2024, but was removed from the post by the Election Commission of India during the Jharkhand Assembly elections. After the election results, he was reinstated as in-charge DGP on November 28, 2024, after the Hemant Soren government returned to power.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, filed a PIL terming Anurag Gupta’s appointment as unconstitutional and a violation of Supreme Court directives.

Marandi, in his PIL, accused the state government of violating constitutional norms and misusing the police administration for political purposes. He pointed out that the Supreme Court had clearly stated that DGP appointments must follow the UPSC process unless the state enacts a new law. However, instead of passing an Act, the state government framed a rule in 2025 and attempted to implement it retrospectively.

The Leader of Opposition also questioned how such a rule could come into effect without proper legislation and criticised officials for allowing what he called an "illegal process".

Earlier, describing Gupta as the most controversial IPS officer in Jharkhand, Marandi had demanded the cancellation of his appointment and a thorough inquiry into his tenure. He also accused the state government of contempt of court, citing the Supreme Court’s 2006 ruling in the Prakash Singh case, which mandated that the DGP must be selected from a panel recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Marandi further alleged that the Hemant Soren government ignored the UPSC process and appointed Gupta, whose name was not on the recommended list.

According to the Supreme Court’s directive, the state government is required to appoint the DGP from a panel of the three senior-most officers recommended by the UPSC. Furthermore, the appointed officer must serve a minimum tenure of two years, irrespective of the date of retirement, but only an officer having more than six months of service left.

Incidentally, the state government has made Tadasha Mishra as the acting DGP of Jharkhand by ignoring the seniority of three state cadre IPS officers including 1992-batch Anil Palta and Prashant Singh and 1993-batch MS Bhatia.

Before taking up the top police job, Tadasha Mishra was serving as the Special Secretary in the Home, Prisons, and Disaster Management Department of Jharkhand Police.