Dilli Ka Babu: Succession race at CBI

While ED may enjoy continuity, change is on the cards at the CBI. With CBI director Anil Kumar Sinha set to retire in December, hectic lobbying is already underway for his position. The buzz in Delhi is that this time an unprecedented number of contenders — from Maharashtra to Karnataka, and from Tamil Nadu to Bihar — are in the fray. Observers, however, say that CBI special director Rupak Kumar Dutta is way ahead of the other contenders since he is an insider. But it’s also true that for the past many times, outsiders have been appointed as CBI directors.

According to sources, the decision on the next CBI chief will probably be taken next month. The past few times, CBI chiefs have been officers from Bihar, so this time also, the state lobby has become active. The present DG of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Krishna Chaudhary, an IPS officer of the 1979 batch, is also a strong contender. He is believed to be close to Lalu Prasad Yadav, but Sushil Kumar Modi is also lobbying for him. This time, names of two women police officers are also doing the rounds. Ranjit Sinha had originally tried to bring her, but she could not serve as the Tamil Nadu government refused to relieve her. Apart from her, DG of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) Meeran C. Borwanker is apparently also in the race. But it’s still early days, so watch this space for more.