Panel to meet on January 24 to pick new CBI director

After the controversial ouster of CBI director Alok Verma, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee is scheduled to meet on January 24 to finalise a new boss for the premier probe agency.

Besides Modi, the selection committee comprises Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the single-largest party in the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

The Modi government had proposed to convene the meeting of the selection committee on January 21, but Kharge had conveyed his inability to attend it citing prior engagements. He had suggested to the PMO to convene the meeting on either January 25 or 26.

The meeting will now be held on January 24.

Kharge is at loggerheads with the Modi government over Verma's removal and had demanded that the report of the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) on the corruption allegations against him be made public.

In a letter to the prime minister, he had also demanded immediate convening of the meeting of the selection committee to appoint a new CBI director.

Kharge had termed the appointment of M Nageshwar Rao as the interim director of CBI illegal, contending that there was no such provision in the rules.

Border Security Force (BSF) Director General R K Misra, National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director General Y C Modi and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Director General Rajesh Ranjan are considered to be front runners for the post of CBI chief.

A Meghalaya-Assam cadre IPS officer, Y C Modi was part of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team that probed the 2002 Gujarat riots. Misra and Ranjan have had long stints in the CBI.

IPS officers of the 1983, 1984 and 1985 batches are in contention for the CBI top post.

Rakesh Asthana, the CBI Special Director who was at loggerheads with Verma, may not be considered for the post as he has to face investigation as the Delhi High Court rejected his plea to quash an FIR filed against him.