The knotty issue of selecting a police chief for the state is expected to be one of the first key decisions before the new Congress-NCP government with the tenure of DGP S S Virk, who is on a three-month extension, due to end on October 30.

Government sources said that there were two options before the government: giving another extension of three months to Virk, or appointing Director-General of Police (Anti-Corruption Bureau) A N Roy as his successor. The odds are stacked in favour of the second option and Roy is likely to take over in a week’s time although with the Congress favourably disposed towards Virk, another extension for him could not be completely ruled out, they added.

Roy, who was appointed state DGP in March 2008, was forced to step down from the post in February this year after a long legal tussle between the top policemen in the state. Virk took over from Roy on March 13 this year, and was due to retire on July 31. But he secured a three-month extension after Chief Minister Ashok Chavan wrote to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram seeking continuity after the 26/11 attack.

Virk himself moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) seeking two years in the DGP post citing a Supreme Court ruling on police reforms in the Prakash Singh case. The CAT is yet to rule in the matter.

The apex court had also issued notices to the Centre and the state government on a petition seeking quashing Virk’s appointment on the allegation that he was chargesheeted in a corruption case in Punjab during his deputation there. The apex court also sought a reply on the plea challenging the three-month extension granted to Virk. However, the SC has not passed any adverse orders against Virk in the matter yet. If Virk is not granted an extension, the new government will have to pick his successor from the next three senior officers in the state: Roy, Director-General of Police (Special Operations) Jayant Umranikar and Director-General of Police (Housing) Hassan Gafoor. Of the three, Roy is the most senior.

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