After Alok Verma's removal, PM Modi headed panel likely to meet on January 24 to appoint new CBI chief

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led high-powered Selection Committee is likely to meet on January 24 to appoint the new CBI director. PM Modi heads the committee, in which the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge are the other members. According to the sources, the government had proposed the meeting on January 21 earlier while Kharge wanted the meeting on January 24 or 25. After mutual consultations, the government has finalised January 24 as the date for the meeting to select the new CBI Director.

The post of CBI director has been lying vacant after the government removed Alok Verma and appointed him as Director General Fire Service. IPS officer M Nageswara Rao was named the interim director of the CBI. The Congress has been attacking the prime minister for not appointing a regular CBI Director.

Kharge had also written to the prime minister demanding early holding of the meeting of the high powered committee to appoint a regular CBI Director.

Also Read: Supreme Court agrees to hear plea challenging Nageswara Rao's appointment as interim CBI director

On the other hand, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear next week a plea by an NGO challenging the January 10 order of the government appointing IPS officer M Nageswara Rao as interim director of the CBI.  The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for petitioner NGO Common Cause and RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj, appealed to the bench, also comprising Justices LN Rao and SK Kaul, to hear the plea this Friday. The CJI told Bhushan that it was "definitely not possible" to hear the matter on Friday and the plea would be heard next week.

CBI's Additional Director Rao was given the charge of interim chief on January 10 till the appointment of a new director after a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Alok Kumar Verma as the chief of the probe agency on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty.

The petition has sought laying down of specific mechanisms to ensure transparency in the process of appointment of CBI director.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Sources say the government had proposed the meeting on January 21.
• After mutual consultations, the government has finalised January 24.
• IPS officer M Nageswara Rao was named the interim director of the CBI.