New Delhi: Senior IPS officer Anil Kumar Sinha was on Tuesday night appointed the new director of CBI-the probe agency embroiled in controversies during the tenure of outgoing chief Ranjit Sinha.
Senior IPS officer Anil Kumar Sinha was on Tuesday night appointed the new director of CBI—the probe agency embroiled in controversies during the tenure of outgoing chief Ranjit Sinha.
A 1979-batch officer who was No 2 in the agency under Ranjit Sinha, Anil Kumar Sinha pipped several other top IPS officers, including senior batchmates like Special Secretary (Internal Security) in Union Home Ministry Prakash Mishra, to become the new CBI chief.
The appointment order of Anil Kumar Sinha, considered close to the outgoing CBI chief, came hours after the selection panel, consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India H L Dattu and Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, recommended a panel of IPS officers for the consideration of the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC). The ACC is headed by Modi, and Home Minister Rajnath Singh is the second member.
“The ACC has approved the appointment of Anil Kumar Sinha as CBI director for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge of the post vice Ranjit Sinha consequent on completion of his tenure on December 2,” read the appointment order.
The three-member selection panel deliberated on a list of 43 senior IPS officers and is understood to have zeroed in on Anil Kumar Sinha and NIA Director General Sharad Kumar for the government to choose Ranjit Sinha’s successor.
This is the first time a collegium met to select a CBI director after Lokpal Act was enacted last December.
A tough job awaits Anil Kumar Sinha, a postgraduate in Psychology and MPhil in Strategic Studies, in restoring the credibility of the CBI.
The 58-year-old was to retire on January 2016, but now will superannuate in December 2016, as the CBI has an assured two-year tenure.
