Delhi Police chief appointment: SC sets deadline of 2 weeks for HC

The Supreme Court asked the Delhi High Court to decide within two weeks the plea pending before it challenging the appointment of senior IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as the Delhi Police Commissioner

The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the Delhi High Court to decide within two weeks the plea pending before it challenging the appointment of senior IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as the Delhi Police Commissioner.

The 1984-batch IPS officer, who had shifted to Union cadre from Gujarat and was earlier serving as the director general of Border Security Force, was appointed Delhi Police Commissioner on July 27, four days before his superannuation on July 31.

He will have a tenure of one year as the police chief of the national capital.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant permitted NGO 'Centre for Public Interest Litigation' (CPIL) to move to the Delhi High Court to intervene in the pending plea against the appointment of Asthana.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that some more time be given to the high court as the government will have to file its response to the pending plea there.

The petition, moved by advocate Prashant Bhushan, urged the court to set aside the Centre's order to appoint Asthana after extending his service period.