High Court verdict in plea over Telangana DGP appointment today

Justice Pulla Karthik of the Telangana High Court on Thursday (January 8, 2026) reserved orders on a writ petition challenging the appointment of IPS officer B. Shivadhar Reddy as the State Director General of Police (DGP). The verdict is scheduled to be pronounced on Friday (January 9, 2026).

Following the superannuation of DGP Jitender, the State Government on September 26 last year appointed the 1994-batch IPS officer as DGP (Coordination) and gave him full additional charge as DGP-Head of Police Force (HoPF). On October 10, city-based social activist T. Dhangopal Rao filed a writ petition questioning the legality of the appointment.

The petitioner argued that the Government Order Rt. No. 1339 appointing Mr. Reddy as HoPF violated the Supreme Court’s ruling in Prakash Singh vs Union of India (2018), which, he said, does not permit the appointment of an “acting” or “additional charge” DGP.

At an earlier hearing on December 24, the Court directed the Chief Secretary to immediately forward to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) a panel of officers eligible for appointment as DGP (HoPF), in accordance with the Prakash Singh judgment and submit a compliance report within two weeks.

On Thursday (January 8), Advocate General A. Sudershan Reddy told the Court that the State Government had been sending proposals since April 2025 and that the UPSC had sought clarifications. In compliance with the Court’s December 24 order, the government submitted the list of the panel of eligible officers to the UPSC on December 31.

However, the UPSC responded on January 1, stating that the panel was not in conformity with the Supreme Court’s directions in the Prakash Singh case and advised the State to seek clarification from the apex court. The Advocate General contended that the UPSC should not have returned the proposal, noting that Telangana had not sent proposals for DGP appointments since 2014 and that even neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had sent such proposals after an 11-year gap.

The UPSC standing counsel said the Commission had sought clarifications over the proposal sent by the Telangana Government in April 2025, as it had some deficiencies. The latest proposal sent on January 1 was not in compliance with the apex court order, he added. The judge would pronounce the order on Friday (December 9).