The race for the post of the Central Bureau of Investigation picked up pace as the selection panel shortlisted three names and passed on to the appointments committee of the Cabinet for approval to succeed P C Sharma, who retires on December 6.
The panel comprising Cabinet Secretary Kamal Pande, Central Vigilance Commissioner P Shanker and Union Home Secretary N Gopalaswami finalised the names of CBI Special Director U S Mishra, Director General of Central Reserve Police Force S C Chaube and Special Secretary in Ministry of Home Affairs B B Mishra, official sources said.
The sources, however, said Misra, IPS officer of 1968 batch from Orissa cadre, was among the frontrunners in view of his experience in the investigating agency.
Chaube, an IPS officer of 1966 batch from Uttar Pradesh, is in the race for the second time. Earlier, he had lost out to Sharma. The CRPF chief, who has two months of service left, had served in the agency as Superintendent of Police.
B B Mishra, an IPS officer of 1967 batch of Orissa cadre, had also served the CBI in various capacities.
According to the Supreme Court it is mandatory for a CBI director to have served in the agency and possess enough knowledge in handling corruption cases.