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Onkar Singh in New Delhi
P C Sharma's appointment as director of the Central Bureau of Investigation has come as a shock to some of those who were aspiring for the job.
Sharma, who had been officiating as CBI director after R K Raghavan retired on April 30, was confirmed in the post on Thursday.
The appointment gives him two full years as director according to a directive from the Supreme Court.
The 1966 batch officer was not even among those considered for the post by a three-member selection committee headed by Chief Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal. One of the reasons given then for Sharma not being considered was that he did not have two full years of service left.
The selection committee had recommended the names of H J Dora, director general of the Andhra Pradesh police, Indo-Tibetan Border Police director general S C Dubey and Gujarat police chief K Chakravarty. But the government rejected all the names and asked the panel to submit a fresh list.
Some of the aspirants for the job have privately expressed shock and anguish at having been sidelined. "You can expect someone rushing to the courts," a senior officer of the Punjab cadre remarked.
Sources said Delhi Police Commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma was also upset. He had been tipped to make it to the selection panel's second list.
Senior CBI officers, however, dismiss such talk as a figment of someone's imagination. "I have seen the reports appearing in some evening newspapers. Let me tell you, there is not an iota of truth in these reports. Why should Ajai Raj Sharma be upset? He is an officer with an impeccable record and well respected in police and bureaucratic circles. He still has some years ahead of him," a top officer said.
P C Sharma, who belongs to the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is a dedicated officer who has served the CBI with distinction. With his appointment, the organisation is expected to benefit from his long experience.
In police circles, Sharma is known as a colourful personality with a keen fondness for bamboo hats.
EARLIER REPORT: P C Sharma appointed CBI director
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