HC dismisses petition on two DGPs issue

Madras High Court today dismissed a PIL by DMK seeking a direction to the Election Commission not to permit DGP K Ramanujam to hold the post of administrative head of police till the polls are completed as government had recently appointed Anoop Jaiswal as DGP to oversee elections.
The First Bench Comprising Acting Chief Justice Satish K Agnihotri and Justice M M Sundresh, dismissing the petition filed by T K S Elangovan, DMK's Organising Secretary and candidate for South Madras, said "it is not the case of the petitioner that there is violation of any statutory provision of law. There is no merit in the petition"

Elangovan alleged that there cannot be two DGPs in the state as it will create a confusion in the minds of police force as to whose orders they should obey and lead to operational problems.
The bench said the entire power in respect of elections has been entrusted to the DGP (Elections) and as such there is no scope for any interference by the DGP (Law and order) in the functioning.
The Home Department by in its notification had directed that all the field police officers handling any election related works shall report only to Anoop Jaiswal who is in charge of elections till the completion of poll process, the bench said.