PIL can't be permitted to settle scores between competing officers: Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said the PIL jurisdiction cannot be permitted to become a mechanism to settle the scores between the competing officers, as it declined to entertain a contempt plea in connection with appointment of Director General of Police in Jharkhand.

"If a person is aggrieved by any action of the State with regard to his illegal removal from the service or due to denial of his legitimate claim to a post, such an officer can very well take recourse to the remedies available to him in law," a bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai, K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria said.

In an order on August 19, 2025, the court said the Public Interest Litigation is a mechanism, which has been devised by this court so as to dilute the issue of locus and permit public spirited person to approach this court or the High Courts on behalf of the persons who, on account of their social and economic backwardness, are not in a position to approach the High Courts or this court.

"The PIL jurisdiction, therefore, cannot be permitted to become a mechanism to settle the scores between the competing officers," the bench said.

The contempt petition was filed alleging disobedience of the orders of this court by the Chief Secretary of the State of Jharkhand.

The petitioner contended that the rules framed by the State of Jharkhand were framed only in order to protect one Anurag Gupta. It was also the grievance that one Ajay Kumar Singh was unauthorisedly removed from the post of Director General of Police.

The present lis appears to be prompted by a dispute between the two officers of the Police Department, namely, Ajay Kumar Singh and Anurag Gupta, the court noted.

"If a person is aggrieved by any action of the State with regard to his illegal removal from the service or due to denial of his legitimate claim to a post, such an officer can very well take recourse to the remedies available to him in law," the bench said, dismissing the contempt petition.

The matter arose out of a judgment in Prakash Singh case, related to the guidelines on appointment of DGPs in States.