Selection committee to announce new CBI Director soon, shortlists 3 names

New Delhi: The Modi-led selection committee may soon announce the name of the next CBI chief among three shortlisted names, ignoring the objections raised by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, according to officials.

The government is said to have put forth a few names of officers in its second meeting with the committee on Friday, for the post of CBI director. However, these names were objected by Kharge, who is also the part of this three-member committee, the officials said.

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Senior IPS officers of 1984 batch, Javeed Ahmed, Rajni Kant Misra and S S Deswal, are said to be among the top contenders for the post.

It is to be mentioned that Ahmed is an officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre and at present is heading the office of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences.

While, Ahmed's batchmate Misra is head of the Border Security Force (BSF).

Haryana Cadre, Deswal, is the director general of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

The Friday's meeting was held at the PM's residence, was attended by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Opposition leader Kharge, and lasted for over an hour.

"The government presented names of 70-80 officers. There was no mention of their career details including relevant experience. We (referring to CJI Gogoi) have asked them to provide all the necessary details. The next meeting will be convened may be by next week," Kharge had told reporters after the January 24 meeting.

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However, a senior government official, without citing further details on the selection committee's meeting said, "The meeting was inconclusive. No decision could be taken during the meeting."

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to "immediately" appoint a regular chief of the probe agency.

SC had further said that the post of CBI director is "sensitive" and "important", and it is not good to keep an interim director of the agency for longer period, the apex court sought to know as to why the government has not made the appointment yet.

The post of the CBI chief has been lying vacant since January 10 after the unceremonious exit of Alok Verma, who had been engaged in a bitter fight with Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana over corruption charges. After which, M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster.

Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption.

Verma, after being removed from the post of CBI director by the PM-led panel, was named as the Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards -- a less significant portfolio.

Former CBI Chief, Alok declined to take up his posting, arguing he had actually superannuated in 2017 and was in service only because of the two-year tenure given to the CBI director. The Centre, however, has concluded there is no “deemed retirement” and there must be a resignation or completion of service.

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According to a senior government functionary, there is no provision for “deemed” superannuation or retirement in the service rules. “As part of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement-Benefits) Rules, an officer’s superannuation date gets extended the moment he is appointed to a post carrying fixed tenure, till the end of such tenure.”

Meanwhile Alok’s absence from the office has created much hype in the bureaucracy as officials are strongly retaliating his move , calling it an act of disobedience.