A controversy has arisen over the appointment of an Additional Director in the CBI with reports suggesting that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet overlooked the Central Vigilance Commission’s recommendation.
The ACC decided to appoint the 1980 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram for the post — first reported by The Hindu — overlooking the purported CVC recommendation of the name of Ranjit Pachnanda, a senior IPS officer of the 1983 batch, who is now posted in West Bengal.
The appointment of Ms. Ramasundaram, earlier posted as chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board, was cleared by the ACC, government sources said. She had served as Joint Director and Deputy Inspector-General between 1999 and 2006 with the CBI, during which period she also worked with the Economic Offences Wing and probed the Telgi stamp paper scam.
It is learnt that CBI Director Ranjit Sinha, in his consultations with the CVC, recommended her name. While CVC Pradeep Kumar was not available for comments on Monday, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and for Personnel V. Narayanasamy declined to respond, saying the decision was made by the ACC. Informed sources said the CVC had recommended Mr. Pachnanda’s name for the post.
The CBI chief refused to comment, saying the matter concerned the CVC and the ACC. A former CBI Director said the CVC recommends a panel of officers for the appointment and the ACC, headed by the Prime Minister, is at liberty to pick any officer.
