Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Appointments Committee of Cabinet on Tuesday night approved the appointment of Anil Sinha as the new Central Bureau of Investigation chief, hours after Ranjit Sinha relinquished office on superannuation.
The Bihar cadre officer of the 1979 batch is presently the Special Director with the CBI. He has earlier worked as Additional Secretary in the Chief Vigilance Commission.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is the other member of the Appointments Committee of Cabinet.
Earlier in the evening, the three-member selection committee consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Opposition leader in Lok Sabha (Congress) Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu had shortlisted his name along with that of another IPS officer.
During an hour-long meeting at 7 Race Course Road, the Prime Minister's residence, the committee discussed names of eligible IPS officers from the 1977 to the 1979 batch.
The Chief Justice of India and Mr. Kharge refused to divulge details of the meeting. However, sources said CBI Special Director Anil Sinha and National Investigation Agency chief Sharad Kumar were the frontrunners for the post.
According to the amended procedure, the newly formed selection panel has to consider the eligible candidates and suggest a panel of names.
The eligibility criteria lay down that the officer, being shortlisted by the panel, should be empanelled as Director-General of Police and should have done stints with the CBI, vigilance or any State anti-corruption wing.
Earlier on Tuesday, after relinquishing the post, Mr. Sinha thanked journalists for giving him wide coverage and creating a “perception” about him in public.
Among the important CBI cases that made headlines under Mr. Sinha were 2G spectrum scam, around 40 cases of alleged irregularities in coal block allocations, VVIP chopper deal case and Ponzi scams including the Saradha case.
However, the final lap of Mr. Sinha's tenure was mired in controversy. Trouble for him began in March when the Supreme Court directed the CBI to submit reports on investigations against 20 companies in coal block allocation cases to the CVC for a review.
Last month, the Supreme Court had directed Mr. Sinha to recuse himself from the 2G Spectrum case. This following allegations, on the basis of a visitors’ diary purportedly maintained at his residence, that he had meetings with those linked to 2G and coal block allocation cases.
