SC extends ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra s tenure to Sept 15 in national interest

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Thursday extended the tenure of Enforcement Directorate chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra till September 15 midnight in larger "public and national interest" after the Centre asserted his continuity is necessary in view of the ongoing FATF peer review and attempts by India's neighbours to ensure the country falls in the grey list.

The top court, which initially made a sharp observation, asking "are we not giving a picture that there is no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people," later relented and accepted the Centre's request for extending Mishra's tenure but for a period that is a month less than what it had sought.

The Centre was seeking an extension for Mishra till October 15 from the earlier July 31 deadline set by the top court.