New Delhi — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected contempt petitions filed by Babulal Marandi, Jharkhand’s Leader of Opposition, and others that challenged the appointment of Anurag Gupta as the state’s Director General of Police.
Presiding over the matter, a bench headed by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai emphasised that contempt proceedings are not meant to settle political differences. “Contempt proceedings cannot be used to settle political scores,” the CJI said, adding that the dispute effectively concerned two officers and had been presented as contempt.
The court noted that the state government’s rules supported Gupta’s appointment. It observed that if an officer is aggrieved by loss of post or service benefits, statutory legal remedies exist, and that public interest litigation should address issues of public deprivation rather than private disputes between officials.
Petitioners’ counsel Anjana Prakash argued that Jharkhand had appointed an acting DGP in a manner similar to Uttar Pradesh, bypassing mandated procedures. The state was represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who defended the appointment. The bench reiterated that once the legislature frames a law, that would supersede court directions, and that service-related grievances must follow proper legal routes rather than contempt litigation.
With inputs from IANS