Dilbag Singh will continue as J&K police chief says SC

New Delhi, Sep 20: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Dilbagh Singh to continue as the chief of the Jammu and Kashmir police.

The court said that Singh would continue until the UPSC gives a panel of senior police officers for regular appointment of a DGP.

On an earlier date the SC had asked the Centre for assistance to deal with the removal of S P Vaid as the police chief of J&K.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan alleged that the state is in gross contempt of the Supreme Court's judgment. He said the DGP faced no charge or disciplinary action where as Dilbagh Singh who replaced him has been charged in a recruitment scam.

The J&K government had moved the SC to seek appointment of a new police chief at the earliest, without going through the procedural requirement of sending a list of probables to the Union Public Service Commission.

The state had sought for an exemption from sending a list of probables to UPSC and waiting for clearance. Jammu and Kashmir DGP Shesh Paul Vaid was removed from his position on Thursday days after the release of militants' relatives in exchange for kidnapped family members of policemen. Vaid will be posted as the state transport commissioner and Dilbag Singh, DGP (Prisons) will hold the additional charge till a regular arrangement is made, a government order said.