Chairperson, Police Complaints Authority, GNCT of Delhi (Applications Invited by High Court of Delhi, New Delhi)

The High Court of Delhi has issued a Vacancy Circular / Notice bearing No. 1027/EI-1/Estt-1/DHC, dated 21 August 2026, on the subject of selection of the Chairman/Chairperson, Police Complaints Authority, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Applications are invited from Retired High Court Judges for proposing the name or names for selection to the post. The circular reproduces the relevant provisions on appointment, removal and terms and conditions of appointment as notified by the Government of NCT of Delhi vide Notification F.No. 28/1/2017/HP-I/Estt./Part file-635-641 dated 29 January 2018, a copy of which is annexed to the circular itself.

The notice is signed by Arun Bhardwaj, Registrar General, High Court of Delhi, and is listed as the current entry on the Court's Job Openings page.

The Police Complaints Authority for the National Capital Territory of Delhi was constituted by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court of India in Prakash Singh and Others v. Union of India and Others, WP (C) No. 310/1996, dated 22 September 2006, read with the directions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, by letters dated 8 October 2015 and 26 September 2017.

Under the constituting notification, the Authority is headed by a Chairman/Chairperson together with three Members, one of whom must be a woman. The Chairperson and the Members are drawn from the following categories:

• Chairperson: a retired High Court Judge
• Member: a person of repute and stature from civil society
• Member: a retired civil servant of at least the scale of Secretary to the GNCT of Delhi, with experience in public administration
• Member: a retired police officer of at least the scale of Joint Commissioner / Inspector General of Police or corresponding rank

Where a woman is appointed as Chairperson, it is not mandatory to have a woman Member.

The circular restricts the call to Retired High Court Judges. This follows the constituting notification, which provides that the Chairperson of the Authority shall be selected from the category of a retired High Court Judge.

There is no upper age limit stated for the Chairperson. The notification fixes an upper age limit of 65 years for Members, and expressly provides that the Chairman/Chairperson may continue beyond 65 years, if necessary, to complete the three-year tenure, subject to the approval of the Lieutenant Governor.

The Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is the appointing authority for the Chairperson and the Members of the Police Complaints Authority.

The Chairman/Chairperson is selected out of a panel of names proposed by the Chief Justice, High Court of Delhi. It is for that panel that the present circular invites applications. The Members, by contrast, are selected out of a panel prepared by the Chief Secretary, Delhi, after consultation with the Lokayukta and the Chairman, Public Grievances Commission.

Term: the term of the Chairman/Chairperson and the Members of the Authority is three years.

Remuneration: the remuneration and perks of the Chairperson and the Members will be as notified by the Government from time to time. The circular does not state an amount.

Whole-time office: the Chairperson and the Members are whole-time members of the Authority and will not engage in any other remunerative activity during their tenure.

The Authority inquires into allegations of serious misconduct against police personnel, either suo motu or on a complaint received from a victim or any person on the victim's behalf on a sworn affidavit, from the National Human Rights Commission, or from the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Secretary or the Principal Secretary (Home), GNCT of Delhi. Anonymous and pseudonymous complaints are not entertained.

For this purpose, serious misconduct means any act of commission or omission by a police officer that leads to or amounts to:

• death in police custody;
• grievous hurt in police custody;
• rape or attempt to rape in police custody;
• arrest or detention without due process of law; or
• extortion, land or house grabbing, or any other incident involving serious abuse of authority.

Complaints outside these categories may also be referred to the Authority by the Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Secretary or the Principal Secretary (Home). The Authority does not entertain matters pending before any court, the National Human Rights Commission or another statutory body. Complaints regarding Delhi Police are dealt with by the Authority and not by the Public Grievances Commission.

The Authority may call for information from the Delhi Police on the complaints or matters before it. Before finalising its report it must afford the Delhi Police an adequate opportunity to present their views and any additional facts, and it may review its findings on receiving further information that has a material bearing on the case.

On completion of an inquiry the Authority communicates its findings and recommendations to the Chief Secretary, Delhi, and endeavours to do so within sixty days of receipt of the complaint. It submits biannual reports to the Lieutenant Governor on cases pending before it, identifying those pending for more than sixty days.

The recommendations of the Authority are ordinarily binding, unless the Government, for reasons recorded in writing, decides to disagree with its findings.

The Chairperson or a Member of the Police Complaints Authority may be removed by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, after being given an opportunity to be heard, on any of the following grounds:

• proven misconduct or misbehaviour;
• persistent neglect to perform duties;
• occurrence of any situation that would make the person unsuitable for appointment; or
• engaging, during the term of office, in any paid employment outside the duties of the office.

Interested Retired High Court Judges may submit their application to the Registrar General Secretariat, 1st Floor, A Block, High Court of Delhi, Shershah Road, New Delhi 110503.

Applications must reach that office latest by 5 September 2026. The circular prescribes no application fee and no online application form; submission is to the Registrar General Secretariat at the address above. Applicants should read the full vacancy circular, which carries the annexed Government of NCT of Delhi notification setting out the terms of appointment.