High Court Rejects Urgent PIL on Maharashtra Police Appointments

The Bombay High Court refused an urgent hearing on a public interest litigation challenging the appointments of Rashmi Shukla and Sanjay Verma as Maharashtra police chiefs. The PIL claims the appointments are arbitrary and impair election independence, but the court questioned the petitioner's legal standing.

The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed an urgency appeal concerning a public interest litigation (PIL) that disputes the appointments of Rashmi Shukla and Sanjay Verma to pivotal police positions in Maharashtra. The suit, led by attorney Pratul Bhadale, calls these appointments arbitrary and detrimental, especially near the state assembly elections.

On November 5, Sanjay Verma assumed the role of Director General of Police (DGP), succeeding Rashmi Shukla, who was temporarily ousted by the Election Commission's direction. The government has mandated that Verma's appointment is provisional, concluding after the election period.

Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya led a division bench questioning Bhadale's standing to file the PIL, stating that the appointment's conditionality doesn't warrant immediate court intervention, as it doesn't immediately harm any individual or public interest. They suggested any challenge should have been timely, noting the compliance with election mandates.

(With inputs from agencies.)