Supreme Court allows Manipur to appoint DGP from outside state cadre

The Supreme Court on Manipur 27 allowed the Manipur government to appoint a Director General of Police (DGP) from outside the Manipur cadre, taking note of the prevailing situation in the violence-hit state.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi observed that the tenure of current Manipur DGP Rajiv Singh, an IPS officer from the Tripura cadre, is set to end on May 31.

“In the peculiar facts and circumstances prevailing in the State, the prayer has been made to appoint the Director General of Police from outside Manipur cadre. We find merit in the prayer. The application is allowed. The State of Manipur is permitted to appoint the DGP from outside Manipur cadre,” the bench said.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that authorities were unable to identify a suitable candidate from among the eligible officers within the state cadre.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati submitted before the court that the current DGP Rajiv Singh is retiring on May 31, making an urgent decision necessary regarding the appointment of a new police chief.

The apex court was hearing a plea filed by the Manipur government highlighting the unprecedented ethnic and civil unrest in the state and seeking permission to appoint a DGP from outside the Manipur cadre.

The development comes as Manipur continues to grapple with prolonged ethnic tensions and law-and-order challenges, with the administration seeking measures to strengthen policing and security management in the state.