In the wake of Alok Verma’s unceremonious removal as CBI Director and subsequent transfer of Special Director Rakesh Asthana, the search for a new chief of country’s apex investigative agency is on. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led three member high-powered panel also comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Congress leader in the LokSabha Mallikarjun Kharge is scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss probable names for the coveted post.
Number of names are reportedly under deliberation and have the requisite credentials to be appointed to the top post in CBI. Here is a list of the probable candidates whose names are likely to be discussed by the high powered committee .
Yogesh Chander Modi (IPS:1984:AM)
Y C Modi, currently serving as Director General, National Investigation Agency, appears to be leading the race for the top post in the CBI.
Y C Modi was part of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team from 2002-2012 which probed the 2002 riots in Gujarat . The SIT had given Narendra Modi a clean chit who was then the chief minister of the state.
Y C Modi was also part of the CBI team that probed the murder of former Gujarat minister Haren Pandya. CBI had arrested 12 suspects in the case but all were eventually acquitted by the Gujarat High Court for lack of evidence, according to officials.
Rina Mitra (IPS:1983:MP)
Rina Mitra, Special Secretary (Internal Security), Home Ministry, is another contender. She served in the CBI for five years and had a long tenure in Madhya Pradesh state vigilance where she handled serious corruption cases. Mitra headed the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, an organisation tasked to combat organized wildlife crime. If chosen, she would become the first woman chief of the CBI.
Javeed Ahmed (IPS:1984:UP)
The current chief of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences Javeed Ahmed, has served in the CBI for 13 years–started as an SP and rose to become DIG, from 1994 to 2002 , and again as Joint Director from 2009-14.
He could not be promoted to the post of Additional Director, CBI, as the then Home Secretary Anil Goswami had not cleared the empanelment file of the entire 1984-batch IPS officers till the end of his term , officials said. Mr Ahmed was posted as Uttar Pradesh DGP and led many initiatives like Twitter outreach campaign, UP100 and special help line for women.
Om Prakash Galhotra (IPS:1985:RJ)
O P Galhotra closely following Ahmed in terms of experience, former Rajasthan DGP, who has served in the agency for 11 years– as an SP from 1996-2000 and as a Joint Director from 2008-15, the officials said.
H C Awasthy (IPS:1985:UP)
Galhotra’s batchmate from the UP cadre H C Awasthy , also served in the agency for over eight years, they said.
Arun Kumar (IPS:1985:UP)
Arun Kumar, who led the first CBI team that probed the Aarushi case, is also in the race.
The report prepared by him indicting three servants of the Talwars in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case was rejected by the then CBI chief Ashwani Kumar due to lack of credible evidence.
Rajesh Ranjan (IPS:1984:BH)
Director General of CISF Rajesh Ranjan is another name likely to figure in the meeting, he has served in the agency for nearly five years and also in the Interpol. But, he was never inducted into the CBI after 2011 as there were “vigilance issues”, the officials said.
Rajni Kant Mishra (IPS:1984:UP)
BSF Director General Rajni Kant Mishra is also being considered a frontrunner for the post of the CBI Director, according to official sources. Due to retire in August 2019, he has served for nearly five years in the agency.
S S Deshwal (IPS:1984:HY)
Another contender DG Indo-Tibetan Border Police S S Deshwal (IPS:1984:HY) has five years’ experience of working in the CBI
Other Contenders
Other Contenders include Rishi Raj Singh and Loknath Behera from Kerala cadre who have served for nearly 6 and 10 years in the CBI respectively. Both are from 1985-batch.
Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik has also been shortlisted but he lacks working experience in the agency, however the officials added that experience in the vigilance unit of the state compensates it.
Also under consideration are J K Sharma and Parminder Rai, both from the 1982 batch, senior most IPS officers but they lack the experience in the CBI.
Rai, a Haryana-cadre officer who is set to retire on January 31, 2019, is Director General, State Vigilance Bureau, which makes him eligible for the post, the officials said.
