Patna: The Patna High Court has lifted the ban on the transfer of 19,858 Bihar police constables, opening the way for their long-pending postings to proceed. The division bench passed the order on Friday June 27 , partially modifying the earlier decision of the single bench.
While the transfer ban has been lifted for most constables, the court has maintained the stay on the transfer of petitioners who had challenged the state government’s transfer order. The controversy dates back to May 5 when the Bihar government transferred 19,858 constables across districts in one go.
The petitioners argued that the state undertook such a large-scale transfer without a formal policy in place. They told the court that Bihar’s previous transfer policy was abolished in 2022, and no new policy has been framed since. The petition, filed by Amitabh Bachchan and others, contended that mass transfers without clear guidelines violate established rules.
Earlier, Justice Rajesh Kumar Verma’s single bench had put an interim stay on the entire transfer order and asked the state to file its counter affidavit within four weeks. On Friday, the division bench reviewed the matter again and ruled that the stay would continue only for petitioners while the transfer process for other constables could move forward.
The government is now expected to implement the transfer orders promptly, bringing relief to thousands of constables awaiting postings.
