No decision on next CBI chief yet

The wait for a full-time Director for the CBI will continue for some more time with a meeting of the high-profile selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to appoint an officer for the top post remaining inconclusive.

Modi and other members of the panel Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi discussed the issue for about two hours. Sources said the panel may meet again soon.

"A list of eligible officers along with their dossiers was shared with the panel members. No decision has been taken in the meeting," an official said.

However, Kharge was quoted as saying that the panel was presented with a large list of officers without any details of their work. "Both the Chief Justice and I said we need more information about who served in what position, competence etc. Both of us requested that next meet be called at the earliest," NDTV quoted Kharge as saying.

Usually, the government provides a short-list to the panel from which it selects one.

The post has fell vacant after the government sacked Alok Verma from the post on January 10 citing an adverse report from the Central Vigilance Commission though Kharge had opposed any such move. In normal circumstances, Verma was to retire on February 1 after the completion of his two-year tenure.

The government then appointed M Nageshwar Rao as interim CBI Director, a move which was challenged in Supreme Court. The apex court was to hear the case on Thursday but as Justice A K Sikri recused from hearing it as he was part of the panel that sacked Verma.

Though there is no official word, the names doing the rounds for the post of CBI Director include J K Sharma and Parminder Rai from the 1982 batch.

Special Secretary (Internal Security) Rina Mitra, National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences Javeed Ahmed, NIA Director General Y C Modi, CISF Director General Rajesh Ranjan and BSF Director General Rajni Kant Mishra were speculated to be among the possible contenders.