Decide on Rakesh Asthana's appointment as Delhi police chief in 2 weeks: Supreme Court tells high court

New Delhi, Aug 25: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi High Court to decide within two weeks the petition filed before it challenging the appointment of Rakesh Asthana IPS as the Delhi Police Commissioner.

"We request the Delhi High Court to consider the matter as early as possible in 2 weeks for us to have the benefit of High Court's judgement," the bench said while hearing the case.

The 1984-batch IPS officer, who had shifted to Union cadre from Gujarat and was earlier serving as the director general of Border Security Force, was appointed Delhi Police Commissioner on July 27, four days before his superannuation on July 31.

He will have a tenure of one year as the police chief of the national capital.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant permitted NGO ''Centre for Public Interest Litigation'' (CPIL) to move to the Delhi High Court to intervene in the pending plea against the appointment of Asthana.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that some more time be given to the high court as the government will have to file its response to the pending plea there.

The petition, moved by advocate Prashant Bhushan, urged the court to set aside the Centre''s order to appoint Asthana after extending his service period.