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The Supreme Court on Monday made it clear that acting Police Chiefs are “unacceptable” and kept the Tamil Nadu DGP appointment in the spotlight. The apex court has tightened the noose on States bypassing regular DGP appointments.
Supreme Court of India
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on February 9 has taken a firm stand against the prolonged practice of appointing acting police chiefs, describing it as “unacceptable.”
The ruling comes as a major development for three senior IPS officers in Tamil Nadu, whose regular appointments as Director General of Police (DGP) and Head of Police Force have been delayed since September 2025, leaving the State without a permanent head of police.
Today’s Supreme Court order signals a potential end to long-standing ad hoc arrangements and strengthens the path for the UPSC-recommended officers to assume leadership before the upcoming April–May 2026 Assembly elections.
Despite the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) recommending a panel of three officers as early as September 29, 2025, the Tamil Nadu government has continued with an ad hoc arrangement. G. Venkatraman (1994 batch) has been functioning as the officiating DGP and head of the State police since September 1, 2025.
Further, the apex court’s intervention on February 5, 2026, specifically called out States like Tamil Nadu for bypassing regular appointment norms and maintaining acting chiefs for extended periods.
Officials and political observers suggest that the delay in appointing a permanent DGP may be a strategic move by the Tamil Nadu government to retain greater administrative control ahead of the coming Assembly elections in April–May.
According to established norms, the State government should have initiated the UPSC recommendation process three months before the retirement of former police chief Shankar Jiwal on August 31, 2025.
