India’s Supreme Court agreed to hear on Oct. 8, 2026, a challenge by the central government to Tadasha Mishra’s appointment as Jharkhand police chief. The Centre says the appointment violated court procedures.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta presented the application to a bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant. The court directed that it be listed for Thursday. The Centre is seeking to annul Mishra’s appointment and says the selection violated Supreme Court guidelines.
Mishra was appointed on Dec. 30, 2025, one day before her retirement. The Centre argues the appointment conflicted with a direction that a police chief candidate should have at least 6 months of service remaining. It also cited the court’s clarification that state-nominated officers should, as far as practicable, have 2 years left in service.
The application says appointments of the previous 2 state police chiefs were also illegal. The Centre challenges Jharkhand’s 2025 rules for selecting and appointing a DGP, arguing the state should choose from a panel prepared by the Union Public Service Commission.
Mehta said the Centre filed its application more than 1 month ago, but it had not yet been listed. A separate challenge to Jharkhand’s 2025 rules was transferred from the state High Court to the Supreme Court in August 2025.
Jharkhand appointed Mishra after amending its 2025 rules, which had required a candidate to have at least 6 months before retirement. India’s Home Ministry had earlier asked the state to cancel the appointment and begin selecting a new police chief.
The dispute concerns the Supreme Court’s 2006 directions in the Prakash Singh case. They require the state to select its police chief from a panel of 3 senior officers prepared by the commission. The court has scheduled a hearing on the Centre’s application but has not ruled on its claims.