Lawyer Manohar Lal Sharma has moved the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister and the Ministry of Home Affairs for the appointment of Rakesh Asthana as Delhi Police Commissioner.
Mr. Sharma accused them of “wilful denial” of a Supreme Court judgment of July 2018, which had directed the State governments to send to the Union Public Service Commission the names of the probables three months before the incumbent Director General of Police were to retire.
The Supreme Court, in March 2019, had further clarified that only officers with a minimum residual tenure of six months should be considered for DGP postings.
The lawyer said Mr. Asthana had only very few days left to retire. He contended that the Prime Minister is the head of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. The decision to appoint Mr. Asthana was jointly taken with the Home Minister. So they were liable for contempt, the plea said.
