The Government plans to appoint an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of a Director General rank officer in the CBI if the Supreme Court decides for a further probe against incumbent Alok Verma against whom the CVC has recorded “very uncomplimentary” findings with regard to allegations of corruption.
Sources said the move is being mulled amid a policy paralysis in the CBI that is now headed by Joint Director rank officer M Nageswara Rao. The SC has barred Rao from taking any major policy decision till a decision is taken on Verma’s petition challenging the Government’s move to send him on forced leave and divesting him of supervisory role in the agency in view of the CVC probe against him on a complaint from Special Director Rakesh Asthana.
The appointment of an OSD does not require nod of the collegium headed by the PM and comprising the Chief Justice of India and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The OSD, sources said, will continue till the collegium finalises a name for heading the CBI, the sources further said.
The sources said names of two DG rank officials who are currently heading the Central paramilitary forces are being considered for the post of OSD.
With chiefs of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) retiring next month, the Centre is also short-listing officials for these posts.
Two top RAW officials in the rank of Special Secretary R Kumar and K Ilango are in the fray for the RAW chief post.
Ilango had to be recalled by the Centre at the behest of the Sri Lankan Government following his controversial moves and meddling in the Sri Lankan politics during his stint as Station Commander in Colombo. Following embarrassment due to Ilango, the National Secretary Advisor Ajit Doval had to intervene to salvage the situation. Other contender Samant Kumar Goel, also a Special Secretary in RAW is out of the fray after his name surfaced in the CBI’s bribery case against Asthana.
IB Special Director Arvinda Kumar, a 1984-batch Bihar cadre officer and Madhya Pradesh DG RK Shukla are frontrunners for top post. RAW is India’s external Intelligence agency and IB is the covert agency for internal intelligence.