‘Record of bigger states such as Maharashtra and UP not good’

If he has said that on record, then this is subversion of the Supreme Court order that PEB should take this call. Further, as per the SC directive, the PEB should only comprise police officers and if Maharashtra has ACS (home) in the PEB, that is wrong. I alone cannot fight this in every state and some public-spirited person in Mumbai should approach the Bombay High Court for this contempt of SC guidelines.

Generally, how has the record of states been in complying with these directives of the top court on police reforms? These guidelines are violated at the state level. In some cases, the violations are flagrant while in others, it is minor. Generally, the record of bigger states such as Maharashtra and UP has not been good while states in the North-East, despite militancy and insurgency, hold the Supreme Court in awe and compliance is higher there.

There is also an opinion among a certain section of officers that the SC judgment took away powers from the DGP who decided on postings before PEBs came into being.

Even now, the Director General of Police (DGP) along with four other senior officers takes a call on postings. The DGP, as the head of the force, still has a strong voice.

In this case, even if one or two of the officers blindly follow what the government wants, there are others who can stop them. If all five officers follow the government, nothing can be done. I have always told officers that the Supreme Court can give you institutional protection, but it cannot give you a spine.