A 3-member committee, consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, will meet on Saturday (May 13) evening to appoint the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
As per a report by The Times of India, the meeting will take place today at 5 pm. The three-member committee will decide the fate of the existing CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal whose tenure is slated to end in May 2023.
Given that the single-largest Opposition party in Lok Sabha i.e. Congress does not fulfil the criteria for the position of the Leader of the Opposition, the Modi government has reportedly invited the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha to join the selection committee.
The selection committee for the appointment of Director CBI comprising of PM Modi, CJI Chandrachud and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury is meeting today to select new Director of CBI or to grant extension to Subodh Jaiswal the current director of CBI .…
— Pradeep Rai (@pradeepraiindia) May 13, 2023
According to The Times of India, the incumbent CBI director may be given an extension for up to 3 years (one year at a time) in ‘public interest’ as per the amendments made to the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act [pdf] and Central Vigilance Commission Act [pdf] in 2021.
It must be mentioned that an existing Director of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can serve for a maximum period of 5 years and a minimum tenure of 2 years.
Citing sources, The Times of India reported that while an extension is on the cards for Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, it needs to be approved by the 3-member committee. Interestingly, names of other eligible officers will also be put forward before the selection panel on Saturday (May 13) evening.
CBI registers case against former NCB officer Sameer Wankhede
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against IRS officer Sameer Wankhede and four others for demanding a Rs 25 crore bribe in exchange of not naming Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan in the cruise ship drug case.
Reportedly, the former Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer had sought a bribe from Shah Rukh Khan to keep his son out of the case. However, a report by Mint said that Sameer Wankhede had sought Rs 25 crore from the owners of Cordelia ship, where a drug party was busted by NCB in 2021.
The investigation agency is also conducted raids at Sameer Wankhede’s residence and other places in connection with the bribery case. The CBI conducted searches at his 29 premises in Mumbai, Delhi and Kanpur, amongst others in this regard.
The CBI further alleged that Wankhede, two former NCB officials, and some private workers had already collected Rs 50 lakh of the demanded Rs 25 crore bribe.
