HC dismisses PIL seeking to fill post of Police Chief

The Bombay High Court today dismissed a PIL which objected to the post of city Police Commissioner lying vacant for a long time and seeking immediate appointment of Rakesh Maria as the police chief.
The PIL was filed in February end and soon thereafter Maria was appointed as the Police Commissioner of Mumbai.
The PIL was dismissed today by a bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka as the judges said their court had no writ jurisdiction to hear the matter as the petitioner had not made a representation to the state Government on the issue.
The bench, however, gave liberty to the petitioner, Ketan Tirodkar, to approach the Government first and then move the High Court to invoke its jurisdiction if he does not get a favourable response from the state.

Soon after the resignation of IPS Officer Satyapal Singh as the police chief of Mumbai, the post of Police Commissioner was lying vacant for quite some time. During that period, this PIL was filed seeking immediate appointment of the Police Commissioner.
The PIL contended that the morale of the police force was down as the Commissioner's post was lying vacant since February 1 after Singh took voluntary retirement to join politics.
Tirodkar had referred to media reports suggesting that the appointment has got entangled in the feud between the ruling coalition partners Congress and NCP, both of which are trying to push their own candidates. "If such appointments are made for political considerations, then the people will have to pay a heavy price," the PIL said.

It also sought an explanation from the state government for dropping a post of Director General of Police in 2012-13 and allowing Singh to continue as Mumbai Police Commissioner while denying him promotion as a DGP.