The second meeting of a selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that met on Friday to choose the next Central Bureau of Investigation director was inconclusive, PTI reported. M Nageswara Rao is the agency’s interim director.
The panel, which also includes Supreme Court Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, had first met on January 24 but the discussions had remained inconclusive then too. At that meeting, Kharge is believed to have sought details of the seniority and experience of around 80 Indian Police Service officers from four eligible batches.
Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court had questioned the Centre for the delay in appointing a regular director. “Why have you not appointed regular director?” the court asked Attorney General KK Venugopal. “An interim director can continue for seven or ten days but not for so long.”
The previous CBI director, Alok Verma, was removed by the committee on January 10, two days after being reinstated by the Supreme Court. Verma was first removed by the government on October 23 amid infighting at the agency and allegations of corruption. He then challenged the government’s move in the top court.
Nageswara Rao was then appointed the interim chief of the agency. His appointment has been challenged in the Supreme Court.
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