CBI may get a new director by May 14
New Delhi: The Central govt is all set to appoint a regular CBI director by May 14. While several names are doing the rounds, Gujarat cadre IPS Officer and currently DG of the BSF, Rakesh Asthana, is the front-runner for the post of the next CBI Chief.
The Central government is all set to appoint a regular CBI director by May 14. While several names are doing the rounds, Gujarat cadre IPS officer and present director general (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) Rakesh Asthana is the front-runner for the post of the next CBI chief.
The CBI director is chosen by a high-powered committee of the Prime Minister, Leader of the the Opposition and Chief Justice of India (CJI) or any judge of the Supreme Court nominated by the CJI. “The meeting of the selection committee is expected to be held either on Tuesday or Wednesday. The new CBI director will be appointed by May14,” sources said.
The government on February 3 appointed Praveen Sinha, a 1988batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer, as the acting chief of the CBI. Mr Sinha is currently posted as additional director in the CBI. According to sources, several other senior IPS officers of the 1984, 1985 and 1986 batch are also in the running for the top post, including Y.C. Modi, who is currently heading the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Arun Kumar, director general (DG) of the Railway Protection Force, Kerala cadre IPS officer Loknath Behra and H.C. Awasthi , DG (Uttar Pradesh).
The Supreme Court recently asked the Centre to consider convening the meeting of a high-powered committee for appointment of CBI director at the earliest observing that in-charge arrangements for the post cannot go on. A bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Vineet Saran was informed by the Centre that meeting of the committee “will be convened after May 2”.