Post of CBI director vacant for over a month, PM-led panel meets to decide the chief

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led three-member team met in Delhi on Monday to decide on the chief of the country's premier probe agency CBI. The post of CBI director is lying vacant for over one month following Anil Sinha's retirement on December 2.

There was no official word from the government as to what transpired during the meeting, official sources said. At present, Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana is the interim director of the investigating agency.

The selection committee has Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice of India or his nominee as its other members. A list of about 45 eligible IPS officers has been sent to the Prime Minister's Office for consideration as the next CBI director, official sources said on Monday.

The name of senior IPS officers Krishna Choudhary, Aruna Bahuguna and SC Mathur, among others are doing the rounds as strong contenders for the top post, they said.

Choudhary and Bahuguna are 1979 batch IPS officers of Bihar and Telangana cadre respectively. Choudhary is Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force and Bahuguna is Director of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad. Mathur, a 1981 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre, is Director General of Maharshtra Police.