New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed Monday the names for the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Others present in the meeting were Chief Justice NV Ramana and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. The three members of the ‘Select Committee’ discussed several names for the top CBI post for a fixed term of two years. The meeting started around at 6.00pm and lasted for over 90 minutes at the residence of Narendra Modi.
According to sources, three names were discussed. The first was Hitesh Chandra Awasthi, a 1985 batch IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre. The two other names that were discussed are SSB DG RK Chandra and Special Secretary in MHA, VSK Kaumudi.
Awasthi was appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP) in Uttar Pradesh in March last year. Sources said that he has emerged as the front-runner to become the new chief of the CBI.
The CBI got an acting Director in the form of Praveen Sinha after the term of RK Shukla ended February 3 this year.
After the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) chooses the names of at least three or four officers for the CBI Director’s post, they are sent to the Select Committee. It comprises of the Prime Minister, the CJI and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. The committee then decides the final pick for a fixed term of two years. Currently the Congress is the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha.
According to the guidelines set by the Supreme Court in 2004, officers from the four oldest serving batches of IPS are considered for the top post.
As per the guidelines, officials having experience in anti-corruption investigations or 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 Appointments’ Committee of the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister.