The Joint Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) here V.V. Lakshminarayana has been repatriated to his cadre State of Maharashtra at the end of his seven-year deputation to the investigating agency. He is an Inspector General of the 1990 batch of IPS.
The in-charge Joint Director of CBI at Chennai, Arunachalam, will hold additional charge of the CBI here till a full-fledged official is appointed. Mr. Arunachalam, a 1993 batch officer, is only a Deputy Inspector General.
Sources said Mr. Lakshminarayana is tipped to be appointed as the Joint Commissioner (Crime) of police in Mumbai when he joins duty in Maharashtra after June 21. He will, however, be relieved from here on June 11, but will avail 10 days joining time.
PIL filed
As news about his transfer was aired by TV channels, a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking his retention was filed in the High Court on the ground that he was supervising investigation into sensitive cases, including that of Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.
The Central government rules, however, did not permit extension of officers on its deputation beyond seven years. It was only in two cases recently that the Supreme Court extended the term of CBI officers over the specified term.
Mr. Lakshminarayana was credited with cracking the Ramalinga Raju led Satyam Computer scam in 2009-10 and is now supervising investigation into Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy’s assets, illegal mining by Obulapuram Mining Company and fraud in Emaar township project.
He has also inquired into the encounter killing of top Maoist leader Cherukuri Rajkumar alias Azad and a journalist Hemachander Pande. The Supreme Court handed over the encounter killing of Sohrabuddin, involving top police officials of Gujarat and Rajasthan, to the CBI here. The multiple tasks at his command led to the police taking a look at his security and finally according him ‘Y’ category by which he got four personal guards and security at home and office.
