Telangana HC Seeks SC Order on Police Vacancies, to Monitor Suo Motu PILs
He argued that this shortage not only burdens the existing staff but also hampers efficiency, contributes to rising crime rates, and causes stress within the disciplined force.
Hyderabad: The Division Bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin, on Wednesday directed the High Court Registry to trace and produce before it a copy of the Supreme Court’s judgment in WP (Civil) 183 of 2013. In that judgment, the apex court had directed Chief Justices of all High Courts to entertain issues relating to the filling of vacant posts in State Police Departments as suo motu public interest litigations and to monitor them periodically.
The Division Bench issued these directions while hearing a PIL filed by Keethineedi Akhil Sri Guru Teja of a Charitable Trust in Hyderabad. The petitioner sought directions to the Telangana Government, Telangana State Level Police Recruitment Board (TSLPRB), and Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) to fill the large number of sanctioned but vacant posts in the Police Department. He also requested the court to direct the preparation of an annual job calendar and a structured roadmap for recruitment and promotions to ensure effective maintenance of law and order in the state.
Citing information obtained under the RTI Act, the petitioner’s counsel, Barkat Ali Khan, informed the court that the sanctioned strength of the Telangana Police Department is 91,169, while the actual strength as of February 7, 2025, stands at 76,295, leaving 14,874 vacancies, about 16 per cent of the total posts. He argued that this shortage not only burdens the existing staff but also hampers efficiency, contributes to rising crime rates, and causes stress within the disciplined force.
