Delhi Police Commissioner tipped to be CBI director

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led three-member panel met on Monday to decide on the chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). However, there was no official word from the government as to what transpired during the meeting. Meanwhile, sources said, Delhi Police commissioner Alok Verma has emerged as the front runner for the post of top cop.

The post of the CBI director is lying vacant for over one month following Anil Sinha’s retirement on December 2. Currently, Rakesh Asthana, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer of 1984-batch, is holding additional charge of the CBI director. Mr Asthana’s appointment as the CBI interim chief has already been challenged in the Supreme Court. After the enactment of the Lok Pal Act — meant to give more teeth to the CBI — the director of the agency has to be appointed by a collegium of the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India or his nominee and the Leader of the Opposition.

The government has already prepared a list of senior IPS officials (all from 1979 batch to 1982) of the country for the coveted post, they added. Several names are doing the rounds for the post of director CBI. “As per the existing norm, the Centre has to appoint the CBI chief on the recommendation of the collegium only.

According to the Supreme Court guidelines, officials having experience in anti-corruption or the CBI from the senior most four batches of IPS cadre will be empanelled, following which a screening of three officers would be sent to the collegium,” sources said.

Among other prominent names, which could make the cut as the CBI director, director general of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Archana Ramasundram (1980-batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre), director general of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), M.C. Borwankar, Krishna Chaudhary, director general of the ITBP, special secretary in the home ministry — RK Dutta (1981 batch Karnataka Cadre), director general of police (Maharashtra), Satish Mathur (1981 batch IPS) and Aruna Bahuguna (1979 batch IPS officer of Telangana cadre).