New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) not to finalise the selection of Odisha's next Director General of Police (DGP) until August 18.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant passed the direction after Senior Advocate P Chidambaram mentioned a Public Interest Litigation challenging the process of selecting the Odisha DGP. The petition alleges that the selection process is not in line with the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the landmark Prakash Singh judgment on police reforms.

Chidambaram told the court that the UPSC was scheduled to hold a meeting on Thursday to finalise the appointment of the state's DGP. He requested that the matter be taken up urgently, saying the petition was listed for Thursday but was unlikely to be heard during the scheduled proceedings.

The senior counsel also alleged that an officer was promoted on Wednesday in a move that could facilitate the officer's inclusion in the panel being considered by the UPSC.

Odisha Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, however, denied any violation of the prescribed norms. He also questioned the maintainability of the PIL, arguing that the dispute relates to a service matter.

The Supreme Court bench also raised questions over whether the PIL was maintainable. CJI Surya Kant observed that none of the officers allegedly affected by the selection process had approached the court.

The bench then sought the opinion of Senior Advocate Raju Ramachandran, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the Prakash Singh case. Ramachandran supported the petitioner's contention and said the Odisha DGP selection process was being carried out in violation of the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court.

Taking note of the amicus curiae's stand, the bench directed the UPSC's counsel to defer the scheduled meeting for finalising the selection.