The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (September 23) granted State four weeks' time to fill up the post of Chief Investigating Officer (CIO) in State Police Complaints Authority (SPCA), an independent body constituted as per the Kerala Police Act, 2011 to consider complaints against police officers.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. noted that the government's Home department has constituted a 3-member search-cum-selection committee for the selection of the CIO and that the committee was requested to take further steps to finalise the qualifications, experience and other details for the appointment for the post of chief investigation officer, keeping in view the nature and responsibility attached to the post.

"The matter stands adjourned for 4 weeks. We hope that by the aforesaid time, the post of the CIO will be filled by the competent person. An affidavit of compliance will be filed by the State," the Court directed.

The development comes in a PIL raising concerns regarding the effective functioning of SPCA and the non-appointment of an independent CIO despite earlier directions in Jaffer Khan v. State of Kerala & Ors. [2022 LiveLaw (Ker) 266] to finalise the appointment within 60 days from April 2022.

The petition is moved by Advocates Praveen.K. Joy, T.A. Joy, M.P. Unnikrishnan, N. Abhilash, Archana Vinod, Abisha E.R, Lakshmi K.S., Albin Varghese, Fathima Shalu S., Megha G., Althaf Ameer, Abhijith V. Prasad, Joffin Joseph and Anand P.S.

Case No: WP(PIL) 180/2026

Case Title: Jaffer Khan v. State of Kerala and Ors.