India
IRS officer Sanjay Mishra appointed as new chief of Enforcement Directorate; to handle several big cases
Updated : Oct 28, 2018, 05:30 AM IST
Indian Revenue Services Officer Sanjay Kumar Mishra was appointed the new chief of the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday. Mishra succeeded Karnal Singh, whose tenure at the agency ends on Sunday.
The appointment of the 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service officer as ED chief has been made "for a period of three months, or till the appointment of a regular incumbent, whichever is earlier", said an order issued by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi headed Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.
In his new role, Mishra will start looking into many high-profile cases, including the probe into the VVIP helicopter scam, investigation against former finance minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti, and the money-laundering charges against fugitives Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya.
Mishra, posted as the chief commissioner of the Income Tax department in Delhi at present, has not been empanelled as an additional secretary in the central government and hence, has been given the top ED charge in an additional capacity. He is expected to be empanelled soon and subsequently will head the ED in a regular capacity, said officials. The post of ED director is an additional secretary rank post in the Union government.
Mishra, has worked in various capacities in I-T and has also served in the Foreign Tax division of the Central Board of Direct Taxes that deals with cases of Indians holding stash abroad.
ED has a mandate to enforce the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Foreign Exchange Management Act to check black money and hawala
Rs 33,500 crore worth assets attached
390 charge sheets filed
5 convictions under the anti-money laundering law
8,452 cases under the FEMA
Sanjay Mishra has not been empanelled as an additional secretary in the central government so far, said the govt
He has therefore, been given the ED charge in an additional capacity. He is expected to be empanelled soon