Special Director in CBI Anil Sinha, a 1979-batch IPS officer of Bihar cadre, was on Tuesday appointed the CBI chief after his name was cleared by a three-member panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister, cleared the name of Anil Sinha who was among the candidates shortlisted by the Search Committee on Tuesday evening.
Sinha’s term will be for two years from the date he takes charge, an official notification said. Earlier, the Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting at his 7 RCR residence late on Tuesday evening to decide on a successor to CBI chief Ranjit Sinha, who retired on Tuesday.
Besides the PM, Chief Justice of India Hl Dattu and leader of the largest Opposition party in the lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who were in the collegium to appoint a CBI Director, were present in the meeting. Both, Dattu and Kharge declined to divulge any information on the deliberations.
“They (Government) will inform,” Kharge told reporters here. The panel discussed the names of 43 officers shortlisted by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), sources said.
NIA chief Sharad Kumar and Special Director in CBI Anil Sinha were seen as top favourites for the post. Other top contenders for the post included Odisha cadre IPS officer of 1977 batch Prakash Mishra, currently posted as Special Secretary in the Union Home Ministry and Director General of Rajasthan Police Omendra Bharadwaj, also a 1977-batch IPS officer (Rajasthan cadre).
The name of KS Balasubramaniam, a 1978-batch IPS officer and at present chief of Kerala Police, was also reportedly discussed.
This is the first appointment of a CBI Director after the lokpal Act came into effect this year. The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, under which the CBI was set up, was amended last week by the Centre to include leader of the largest Opposition party in the lok Sabha in the selection panel, instead of the now annulled provision that mentioned the leader of the Opposition.