New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge has protested appointment of Rishi Kumar Shukla as the new CBI chief with absolutely no experience in investigation of the anti-corruption cases. In a one-page note to Prime Minister Modi as a member of the selection panel, he pointed out that “adding general investigative experience to enhance overall experience has led to inclusion of candidates who either have no experience or at best very little experience in investigation of anti-corruption cases. He cited both the Supreme Court judgment in the journalist Vineet Narain case and Section 43A(3)(a) of Delhi Special Police Establishment Act under which the CBI is set up lays stress on appointment of its director on the basis of “seniority, integrity and experience in the field of anti-corruption cases.”
But for the general experience of investigation and not in anti-corruption, Shukla would not have figured at all in five IPS officer shortlisted for the selection, Kharge said in his note as he has absolutely no experience in the anti-corruption cases.Kharge protested that the criteria decided in the selection panel meeting diluted the necessity to bank upon experience in anti-corruption cases only. “This would be both against the letter and spirit of the DSPE Act which clearly states investigation of anti-corruption cases.”Topping the list of five short-listed was S Javed Ahmad, a 1984 batch IPS officer of UP cadre as he has overal total investigation experience of 303 months, including 160 months in anti-corruption field, followed by his UP
cadre colleague Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar from 1983 batch with 170 months of experience, 25 months in anti-corruption, Sudeep Lakhtakia, a 1984 batch Telangana cadre IPS officer with 155 months of experience, including 14 months in anti-corruption, and A P Maheshwari, a 1984 batch UP cadre IPS with 147 months of investigation, including 14 months in anti-corruption.In contrast, Rishi Kumar Shukla picked up for the post has the lowest 117 months of experience in investigation and that to without any in anti-corruption, Kharge”s note added.
