In a significant development, the Central Government has blocked the Jharkhand government’s move to extend the tenure of Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag Gupta beyond his retirement date of April 30, 2025. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has officially communicated its objection to Chief Minister Hemant Soren through a letter, stating that the extension was procedurally incorrect.

The letter was dispatched to top state officials in Soren’s absence, as the Chief Minister is currently abroad.

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Janata Dal (United) MLA Saryu Roy brought the issue into the public spotlight, posting on the social media platform X that the Centre had declared the tenure extension “wrong.” Citing the MHA’s directive, Roy asserted that Anurag Gupta’s service will conclude on April 30, as initially scheduled.

Anurag Gupta was first appointed as in-charge DGP on July 26, 2024. However, during the state assembly elections, the Election Commission removed him from the post. Following the reinstallation of the Hemant Soren-led government, Gupta was reinstated as in-charge DGP on November 28, 2024.

In a bid to formalise his position, the state government introduced a rule for DGP appointments and notified Gupta as the full-time DGP, assigning him a two-year fixed tenure, effectively till July 26, 2026.

The Centre’s intervention has now cast doubt on the legality of that rule and the appointment process. The MHA has questioned the state’s authority to unilaterally extend Gupta’s term, suggesting that such decisions must align with central norms and approval.

With the Union Home Ministry’s stance now clear, Anurag Gupta’s term is set to end on April 30. It remains to be seen how the Jharkhand government will respond to the Centre’s objection and whether it will challenge or comply with the directive in the coming days.