New Delhi: Ignoring the objections raised by the Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, the Centre is likely to announce the name of next CBI chief soon. Kharge is a member of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee.
On Friday, during the second meeting of the committee, the government has put forth a few names of officers who could be considered for appointment as the CBI director. However, these names were objected to by Kharge, who is part of the three-member committee, informed officials.
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 high-profile post. Ahmed who is an officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present the chief of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences here. Ahmed's cadre and batchmate Misra is head of the Border Security Force (BSF). Deswal who is from Haryana cadre, is the director general of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
"The meeting was inconclusive. No decision could be taken during the meeting", a senior government official said, without citing further details on the selection committee's meeting that was held on Friday.
The apex court has observed 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. Hence, it 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. Both Verma and Asthana had accused each other of corruption. M Nageswara Rao has been working as the interim CBI chief after Verma's ouster.