New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside the order of the Karnataka High Court that indicted the state’s former police chief Shankar Mahadev Bidari and directed his removal.

The apex court bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice CK Prasad said the state, however, was free to appoint anyone of its choice as the Director General of Police (DGP). Bidari is due to retire on May 31.

The High Court, while directing the removal of Bidari, had ordered the appointment of AR Infant as the DGP, replacing Bidari.

The apex court also suspended the operation of the order of the Central Administrative Tribunal, which too had ruled against the appointment of Bidari as the DGP.

 The court said that the matter is being remanded to the High Court for fresh consideration and that the High Court should decide the matter before May 31 when both Bidari and Infant are retiring from service.