Gauhati HC seeks reports on police vacancies in four NE states

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court directed the Senior Government Advocates of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland to give an updated report, as of January 31, 2026, regarding the vacant positions of the police and the State Armed Forces, along with the recruitment and promotional exercises which are afoot, to ensure the presence of adequate police forces in each state.

The bench of Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, taking suo moto cognizance, issued the direction to the Senior Government Advocates of the four NE states under the jurisdiction of the HC in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL(Suo Moto)/2/2019), after the matter was transferred from the Supreme Court.

This case originates from a PIL initially filed in the Supreme Court of India as WP(C) No. 183/2013, wherein various directions were issued to the states and the union territories to fill up large numbers of vacant posts in the police and the state armed forces. The purpose was to prevent overburdening the existing police personnel and ensure adequate staffing for effective law enforcement.

Detailed affidavits were received in the Supreme Court from many states, detailing their police force strength and vacancies. However, the Supreme Court, on realizing that most of the issues were state-specific and could be handled better locally by the respective High Courts, directed for transfer of monitoring of the cases to the respective High Courts along with all records, including the affidavits, for the High Courts to take up those issues as suo motu Public Interest Litigations for effective supervision.

For the NE states of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh, the relevant records and affidavits were forwarded to the Gauhati HC, whereafter this suo motu PIL was instituted for monitoring the filling up of those vacancies.

The court directed D. Nath, Senior Government Advocate, Assam; A. Chandran, Senior Government Advocate, Arunachal Pradesh; P. Bhattacharya, Additional Advocate General, Mizoram; and M. Kechii, Additional Advocate General, Nagaland, to submit an updated report by January 31, 2026, regarding the vacant positions, recruitment and promotional exercises which are afoot and a certification that the other issues flagged by the Supreme Court have been resolved and necessary notifications to that effect have been issued.

The court listed the matter again on April 7, 2026.

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