New Delhi, May 5 (HS): An important meeting regarding the appointment of the new Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief took place on Saturday at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) located in South Block, Delhi. The meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, included Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

According to sources, the meeting was related to the workings of the high-level selection committee that deliberates on the appointment of the CBI director. The current CBI director, Praveen Sood’s term is set to expire on May 25 of this year. It is noteworthy that the term of the director is fixed at two years. The Supreme Court had directed in 2019 that only those officials with more than six months of service remaining are eligible for the position.

For the appointment of the CBI director, the agreement of a three-member committee comprising the Prime Minister, the CJI, and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha is required. The appointment process is determined under the guidelines set by the Supreme Court and the Lokpal Act. In the absence of a Leader of the Opposition, the leader of the largest party in the Lok Sabha is included in the committee.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar