Guj-cadre IPS officer is interim CBI director

NEW DELHI: CBI director Anil Sinha retired on Friday and handed the baton to his secondin-command, Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana, as the government did not name a full-time chief for the premier investigating agency.

Asthana, a 1984-batch officer, got elevated to the second position two days ago when special director RK Dutta, who was among the frontrunners for the top post, was shifted to the Union home ministry as a special secretary.

The post of second special secretary was created for the first time in the ministry.

It is the first time for 10 years that no new CBI chief has been named to succeed after the incumbent completed his tenure. Sinha was heading the agency for two years.

“The competent authority has approved assignment of additional charge of the post of director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), to Rakesh Asthana, IPS (GJ: 1984), Additional Director, CBI with effect from the date of relinquishment of charge by Anil Kumar Sinha, IPS (BH:1979) on completion of his tenure with immediate effect and until further orders,” said an order issued by the department of personnel and training.

Asthana is said to be close to both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, both from Gujarat. He supervised the initial investigation into the Godhra train burning incident when he was inspector general of police, Vadodara range. He was also police commissioner of Vadodara and Surat.

The CBI chief is selected through a collegium comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition or the largest party in opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. The collegium has not been able to meet.

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