Sanjay Kumar Mishra, a 1984-batch IRS officer, is said to be the Prime Minister’s pick to succeed Karnal Singh as ED chief.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is believed to have recommended that an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer currently posted with the income tax (I-T) department be appointed as the chief of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) when incumbent Karnal Singh’s term ends in a few days.
The appointment is part of an effort to staunch the crisis threatening to damage the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s reputation in light of the CBI controversy.
The IRS officer, Sanjay Kumar Mishra, is currently a chief commissioner, and said to be close to Nripendra Misra, the principal secretary to the Prime Minister. He is an officer of the 1984 batch.
Mishra has been in the limelight over the past few years, having investigated high-profile cases involving National Herald and BSP supremo Mayawati.
Mishra is also said to have led the probe into allegations of tax evasion against NDTV, and reportedly issued the Rs 450 crore demand notice the channel received in 2014. Heading Division 6 of the department at the time, he reportedly conducted the investigation in coordination with the ED and the CBI.
He was transferred to Division 4 in January this year, on an order from the finance ministry signed by union minister Arun Jaitley.
The order announcing the next chief is expected by next week.
Karnal Singh’s extension scuttled
The government initially planned to give Karnal Singh yet another extension, for six months, but it was scuttled after former IRS officer Uday Babu Khalwadekar challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, sources said.
Also read: Six-month extension to ED chief Karnal Singh challenged in Supreme Court
In his petition, Khalwadekar cited the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha elections and said that Singh, handling several high-profile cases of political significance, was only being considered for an extension because the government wished to “take advantage”.
He had said that “such an extension for such short tenure creates doubt on the decision of the government, more so when it is close to state assembly and general elections”.
Singh was to retire in August 2017, but given a two-year term as ED director — effective October 2016, when he took full-time charge of the post — on the directions of the top court.
Another candidate considered as his replacement was G.C. Murmu, a 1985-batch Gujarat-cadre IAS officer who was principal secretary to Narendra Modi during his tenure as chief minister.
The plan was, however, dropped in light of allegations that he suppressed the investigation into the riots of 2002, when Modi was Gujarat chief minister. He was also considered as a contender for the post when the government was on the hunt for an ED chief in 2015.