by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
New CBI Chief selection tomorrow
Mishra, Jaiswal lead the race
List of 20 probables sent to the panel !
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Jan. 23
All eyes are set on the 3-member Selection committee meeting tomorrow to pick the new CBI chief.
Highly placed sources in the government say that the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Leader of the single largest party in the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge will meet to select the new CBI chief from the panel of around 20 officers short-listed by the government.
CISF Director-General Rajesh Ranjan, BSF DG R K Mishra, Mumbai Police Commissioner Subodh Jaiswal, a 1985 batch IPS officer and external intelligence agency R&AW special secretary Vivek Johri are in the reckoning among these 20 officers. These officers belong to the 1982-85 batch of the IPS officers and hold key positions either in the Central government and/or in state government service.
If the current thinking in the government is any indication, it wants to appoint a person as new CBI chief who has nothing to do with the Gujrat cadre or part of any of the SITs relating to the state when Narendra Modi was Chief Minister or non-controversial.
Some of the saner voices have cautioned the government that its time to “restore the credibility” of the highly respected probe agency and let the successor to Alok Verma be chosen on “merit.”
Y C Modi who was made chief of the National Investigation Agency chief and considered close to the PM, is also in the race. But this 1984-batch Assam-and-Meghalaya-cadre IPS officer, was part of the Supreme Court-appointed special investigation team that probed the 2002 Gujarat riots when Narendra Modi was chief minister. The SIT had given Narendra Modi a clean chit in the Gulbarg Society massacre in which 69 people were killed. He may not be able to make the cut.
Many feel that one of the reasons of the current crisis in the CBI is the gift of the non-experience of Alok Verma who never served the CBI before. Therefore, an officer who has the experience of working in the CBI be given preference.
The list of the probables has been sent by the DoPT under the Prime Minister and vetted by the Central Vigilance Commission. It is in the process of being sent to the 3-member selection panel.
Officiating CBI chief M Nageshwar Rao, an IPS officer of the 1986 batch of the Odisha cadre, is also trying hard to be in the panel. Though he is considered very close to some of the senior RSS leaders, his chances do not look bright considering his junior rank in the batch and surcharged atmosphere.
