SK Mishra takes over as interim ED chief
SANJAY KUMAR MISHRA WILL HOLD CHARGE OF THE ED FOR THREE MONTHS TILL THE GOVERNMENT MAKES A REGULAR APPOINTMENT FOR THE POST
NEW DELHI: After the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) too will be headed by an interim director.
The government on Saturday appointed Sanjay Kumar Mishra, a 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, as principal special director in the ED, handing him charge of the agency as interim chief for three months. The incumbent director, Karnal Singh, retired on Saturday.
Mishra’s appointment in the ED was cleared by the appointments committee of the cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and having home minister Rajnath Singh as its second member. Mishra will be the second principal special director in the ED, a newly-created post that was first occupied by a 1988-batch IRS officer, Seemanchal Das.
The cabinet committee order said Mishra will hold charge of the ED for three months till the government makes a regular appointment for the post.
Karnal Singh, a 1984-batch IPS officer of the Union Territories cadre, hung up his boots on Saturday after three eventful years as the ED chief. For the first year of his tenure, he handled charge in acting capacity.
During his tenure, the ED issued attachment orders of at least ~33,500 crore in money-laundering cases. In contrast, in the preceding 10 years, the ED issued attachment orders of ~9,000 crore.
The laundering cases probed during Singh’s tenure include those against Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi and Agustawestland case.
Singh was appointed full-time ED chief with a fixed two-year term on October 27, 2016, following a Supreme Court intervention. After a petition was filed in the court objecting to his appointment as ED chief in acting capacity, the government appointed him as full-time chief.
Later, after another court intervention, he was given a fixed tenure of two years.