SC to hear whether Asthana right choice for Delhi top cop job

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will be hearing a plea challenging the appointment of Rakesh Asthana as the Delhi Police Commissioner. The court will address the matter on Thursday.

A two-member bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and Justice Surya Kant will hear the arguments about the appointment being in violation of a 2018 SC order not recommending the appointment of individuals who do not have more than two years of service left.

A Supreme Court decision says that officers with six months left in service should not be considered for police chief posts. Ex-CBI officer Rakesh Asthana was appointed as Delhi Police Commissioner last week when he only had three days to retire. He was earlier eliminated from the list of candidates because he only had two months left in service. He was also ruled out of the post of CBI Director for the same reason.

The order from the Union Home Ministry said that Asthana had been given a year's extension in service granted "in the public interest". He was also given a deputation - from the Gujarat cadre to the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territory) cadre from which Delhi Police chiefs are usually picked.

The plea filed by advocate ML Sharma said that the 2018 Supreme Court order says that the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) should, as far as practical, consider only officials with two years of service left. He also asked the top court to initiate contempt proceedings against Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Home Ministry officials on this matter.

The Congress and Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have also spoken up against the controversial appointment. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the appointment of Rakesh Asthana is against the order of the Supreme Court and it is the duty of the centre to obey the Supreme Court.

The Congress called the appointment "downright illegal" and hinted at a "quid pro quo". Senior leader Pawan Khera said that it shows blatant disregard towards the Supreme Court. He questioned what credentials Rakesh Asthana possesses for managing the metro police and what is the public that is being fulfilled.