CISF chief Subodh Kumar Jaiswal appointed CBI director

Central Industrial Security Force chief Subodh Kumar Jaiswal was on Tuesday appointed as the new Central Bureau of Investigation director for two years, according to a personnel ministry order.

Jaiswal is a 1985-batch Indian Police Service officer of Maharashtra cadre. He has also served as Maharashtra's director general of police in the past.

The Central Bureau of Investigation was working without a regular chief for over three months after Rishi Kumar Shukla completed his two-year tenure on February 3.

CBI Additional Director Praveen Sinha, a 1988-batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, was appointed the acting chief of the agency after Shukla completed his tenure.

Jaiswal has been appointed as the director of CBI for a period of two years, the ministry order said.

A three-member selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Monday shortlisted Jaiswal's name.

Chief Justice of India N V Ramana and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury are the two members of the panel.

During the meeting, Chowdhury had objected to the process of selection of officers for the coveted post.

"The way the procedure was followed, it was in conflict with the mandate of the committee. On 11th (May), I was given 109 names and today (Monday) by 1 pm, 10 names were shortlisted and by 4 pm, six names were shortlisted. This casual approach of DoPT (department of personnel and training) is highly objectionable," Chowdhury had said.

The appointment assumes significance as the Supreme Court is hearing a petition filed by an NGO, Common Cause, on the delay in the appointment of a regular CBI chief.

The Centre had last month told the Supreme Court that the meeting of the selection committee for the appointment of the CBI director would be convened immediately after May 2.

On April 5, the apex court had asked the Centre to consider convening the meeting before May 2 observing that "in-charge arrangements" for the post cannot go on.

The petitioner has alleged that the government has failed to appoint a regular CBI director as per Section 4A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.

The plea has also sought a direction to the Centre to initiate and complete the process of selection of the CBI director well in advance, at least one to two months before the date on which the vacancy to the post is about to occur.