Taking into account the delaying attempts made by the majority of states/UTs in implementing directions for police reforms, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered setting up of a three-member committee to ensure compliance of its 2006 order.

Justice K T Thomas, a former judge of the apex court, would head the committee.

A directive in this regard came after a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan gave its accord to the terms of reference put forth by advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for former IPS officer Prakash Singh, who’s the petitioner in the case. While one of the two remaining committee members would be nominated by Justice Thomas, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2007 for his impeccable judicial career, the other would be named by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Agreeing to the submissions by the petitioner’s counsel, the Bench said the committee would ensure compliance of the SC order of 2006, where it had directed all the states to carry out reforms in police machinery. The committee would be entrusted with the task of monitoring the implementation of directions and in no manner would it be involved in examining the directions.

Asking the panel to submit its report within three months, the SC said the panel would look into the difficulties faced by the states.