’79-’82 batch officers in race for CBI top job

THE NAMES of at least seven IPS officers — all from 1979-82 batches — are being considered for the post of CBI Director. While Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Verma (1979 batch) is said to be the frontrunner, his batchmate and ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary is also in the running.

With the Supreme Court directing the government to appoint the director by January 16, the selection panel, comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India J S Khehar, and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, is set to meet on Monday.

The Supreme Court gave its order while hearing a petition last month challenging the appointment of Gujarat-cadre Rakesh Asthana as the interim CBI chief.

Sources said the list of probables include two women IPS officers — Archana Ramasundaram, the first female IPS officer to head a paramilitary organisation, the Sashastra Seema Bal, and Meeran Borwankar, Director-general, Bureau of Police Research and Development.

While Ramasundaram is a 1981-batch officer from Tamil Nadu cadre, Borwankar is a year junior and belongs to the Maharashtra cadre.

According to sources, another name on the list is A R K Kini (1981 batch), who is currently the Director General of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) with additional charge of Secretary (Security).

Then there is Rupak Kumar Dutta (1981 batch), who served as Special Director in CBI and was recently transferred to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Other names, according to sources, include Maharashtracadre IPS officer Satish Mathur (1981 batch). Mathur earlier served in the CBI and supervised the 1993 bomb blast case.

Sources said the list of names, with security, background and vigilance checks conducted by different agencies, has been provided to the Department of Personnel and Training.

The acting CBI chief, Asthana, is a 1984-batch officer who is yet to be empanelled as Director General.

While Verma, who took charge of the Delhi Police last year, is said to be the frontrunner, he has not served with the CBI earlier and has only worked with the Vigilance Bureau.