CBI Additional Director Rakesh Asthana has been given additional charge of CBI Director on the retirement of Anil Sinha on Friday. Asthana, a Gujarat cadre 1984 batch IPS officer, is expected to hold the additional charge till the high-level committee comprising Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and leader of the main Opposition in the lok Sabha select a full-time CBI chief.
It is the first time in last 10 years that no new CBI chief has been named in time to succeed an incumbent. Sinha completed his two-year tenure on Friday.
“The competent authority has approved assignment of additional charge of the post of Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI),
to Rakesh Asthana, Additional Director, CBI, with effect from the date of relinquishment of charge by Anil Kumar Sinha, IPS (BH: 1979) on completion of his tenure with immediate effect and until further orders,” an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.
Asthana was elevated as the second-in-command in the CBI two days ago when Special Director RK Dutta, who was among the frontrunners for the top post, was shifted to the Home Ministry as a Special Secretary. The post of second Special Secretary was created for the first time in the Ministry.
According to senior officials, at present names shortlisted for CBI Director’s post are Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma, Maharashtra DGP Satish Chandra Mathur, Bihar cadre 1979 batch officer Krishna Chaudhary, and BPRD chief Meera Borwankar. Alok Verma is considered the frontrunner for the post.