Telangana HC issues contempt notices to CS, DGP over police reforms

The contempt petition was filed by the Forum Against Corruption.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has issued contempt notices to several top state officials, including Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari and former and current Directors General of Police (DGP), Dr. Jitender and Ravi Gupta, for failing to implement critical police reforms as directed by a previous court order.

The contempt petition was filed by the Forum Against Corruption, represented by its president Vijay Gopal. The petition alleges that the state government deliberately violated a prior ruling by not enforcing key reforms within the police department. These reforms include the mandatory minimum service tenure of two years for senior police officers, the separation of investigative duties from law and order responsibilities, and the creation of necessary oversight bodies such as the Police Establishment Board and the District and State Police Complaints Authorities.

The petitioner has argued that despite earlier court directions, the government has shown continuous non-compliance, which undermines both the legal process and the intent of the reforms. As a result, the petition seeks maximum imprisonment for the officials involved and a fine of ₹5 lakh each for their failure to adhere to the court’s orders.

In response to these allegations, a bench comprising Justices Abhinand Kumar Shavili and Laxmi Narayana Alishetty directed the officials to either appear in person or provide legal representation by October 25 to address the contempt notices.

The court had previously instructed the government to reform certain aspects of the police force to improve governance and accountability. The government’s failure to carry out these reforms led to the filing of the contempt petition, prompting the court to take further action.

The case has been adjourned until October 25, awaiting the officials’ responses and a clear timeline for implementing the necessary reforms.