Mishra may be interim CBI chief

NEW DELHI, JAN 30: With the Supreme Court's firm no to any extension to CBI chief R C Sharma, who is to retire tomorrow, the stage is set fo...

NEW DELHI, JAN 30: With the Supreme Court’s firm no to any extension to CBI chief R C Sharma, who is to retire tomorrow, the stage is set for an “officiating” director. And it’s Trinath Mishra, a 1965 batch UP cadre IPS officer, who’s likely to step in. Special Director D R Karthikeyan, who is a year senior to Mishra, may lose out since the Department of Personnel (DoP) has already passed orders for his appointment as OSD in the Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Official sources say that when Karthikeyan’s plea for extension had been discussed in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the rationale given was that an extension at this stage would block two senior-level posts. In addition to the post of CBI’s Special Director, Karthikeyan is also holding additional charge as Special Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), posted in Hyderabad.

The orders for his appointment as OSD are said to have been issued around five weeks ago and cleared by the PMO, but Karthikeyan is yet to confirmthis.

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Karthikeyan’s appointment as OSD almost coincided with that of Mishra being brought from the National Police Academy as the CBI’s Special Director. It was at that time that the decision to “groom” him for the top post is said to have been taken at the highest level.

But the announcement of polls raised some doubts about whether Mishra will replace Sharma as the new CBI Director immediately following his retirement or will step in temporarily as the officiating Director and allow the new Government to appoint a director as per the procedure laid down by the Apex Court in its December 1997 judgement.

The Government was expected to file an SLP against the SC judgement for reconsideration within a month, a timeframe to file the SLP. Since the Government did not do so, it is expected that it would bring in necessary legislation to implement the SC judgement.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court rejected Sharma’s petition seeking modification of its order that he should not be given extension.

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Onappointment of the CBI Director, the SC had directed the Government to constitute a three-member committee headed by Central Vigilance Commissioner to appoint the CBI Director. Other members of the committee would be the Home Secretary and Secretary (Personnel).

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