Chennai: Madras High Court on Friday struck
down the appointment of senior woman IPS officer Letika Saran
as the Director General of Police of Tamil Nadu, holding that
it was not made in accordance with the guidelines laid down by
the Supreme Court.
Passing orders on a petition by IPS officer R Nataraj
challenging her appointment, the court directed that a new DGP
should be in place by December first week.
Till then, Saran will continue in the post, a Division
Bench comprising Justice F M Ibrahim Kalifullah and Justice M
M Sundaresh said in its order.
A 1976 batch officer, Saran became the first woman DGP
of the state in January last.
The judges directed the state government to furnish a
fresh panel of names of those eligible to hold the post of DGP
to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The court had on September 7 reserved orders on the
petition by Nataraj, Director of Fire and Rescue Services, who
had claimed that his seniority had been overlooked in the
appointment to the post.
The state government had told the court that the
selection and appointment of Saran as the DGP was made in
pursuance to the Supreme Court`s directions.
PTI
