CJI citing SC order eliminated two choices for CBI Director

The two candidates who were said to be the front runners for the post of Director Central Bureau of Investigation CBI were dropped after Chief Justice of India NV Ramana cited a Supreme Court guideline on appointment of police chiefsAccording to sources CJI Ramana pointed out the top courts guidelines in the Prakash Singh case of March 2019 which made it clear that no officer with less than six months to retirement should be appointed as police chiefThe source said that the CJI Ramana was insistent on this point and he also got support from Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury which made the Prime Minister to follow his demandAlso Read CBI challenges Calcutta HCrsquos housearrest order in SCWith the citing of the SC order by the CJI it was made clear that NIA chief YC Modi who is set to retire at the end of May and Rakesh Asthana who is currently heading the BSF and all set to retire in July this year were out of race for the top post of the CBISources said that YC Modi and Asthana were among the top contenders for the post of Director CBIHowever after their names were dropped the PMled Selection Committee which includes CJI and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha during a meeting in Monday evening discussed names of three IPS officers which included CISF chief Subodh Jaiswal SSB DG KR Chandra and Special Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs MHA VSK KaumudiA senior officer wishing not be named pointed out that CJI Ramana has set a new bar in the selection of Director CBIHe said that the Prakash Singh judgment was about appointment of DGPs of state policeHowever CBI appointments are more guided by the Vineet Narain judgment the CVC Act and the Lokpal Act he saidThe chiefs of CBI has a fixed twoyear term However this is for the first time that the condition of six month tenure left before appointment has been followedIn March 2019 a bench headed by then CJI Ranjan Gogoi while hearing the petition filed by former UP DGP Prakash Singh had said We therefore clarify that recommendation for appointment to the post of Director General of Police by the Union Public Service Commission and preparation of panel should be purely on the basis of merit from officers who have a minimum residual tenure of six months ie officers who have at least six months of service prior to the retirementThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever