ED Director S K Mishra's tenure extended by one year

His tenure was to end next week as the ED director's post comes with a fixed term of two years

The Narendra Modi government has extended the tenure of Enforcement Directorate Sanjay Kumar Mishra by one more year after modifying his appointment order issued two years ago.

Mishra was appointed ED chief on November 19, 2018, and his tenure was to end next week as the post comes with a two-year fixed term.

According to the order issued by the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, President Ram Nath Kovind approved the modification of the earlier order appointing Mishra as ED Director for two years.

After quoting the 2018 order, it said it should be modified as "the President of India is pleased to appoint Shri Sanjay Kumar Mishra, IRS, Principal Special Director, Directorate of Enforcement as Director of Enforcement in the Enforcement Directorate for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders, whichever is earlier".

Officials said the extension of tenure of Mishra, an Indian Revenue Service officer of the 1984-batch, by modifying the earlier order is possibly the first time that such a thing has happened with regard to the post of ED Director.

Mishra attained the superannuation age of 60 years in May but continued in the position as his assured two-year term was to end on November 19.

Mishra is spearheading the agency at a time when it is conducting probes into a wide range of high-profile cases, including money laundering aspects in the Sushant Singh Rajput suicide case, the ICICI Bank case, and the Kerala gold smuggling case.

He was also part of the investigating team that probed the National Herald case and had handled a disproportionate assets case filed against BSP chief Mayawati as well.