NEW DELHI: A high-powered committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Monday to select the new

director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Besides PM Modi, the other two members of the panel — Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Chief Justice of India NV Ramana — were also present in the meeting held at the Prime Minister’s residence.

The meeting of the PM Modi-led panel, which reportedly lasted for more than 90 minutes, finally took place after being delayed for nearly four months.

For the uninitaited, the post of CBI director is vacant since the then incumbent Rishi Kumar Shukla retired on February 4 after a tw

o-year stint. The charge for the post was handed to Additional Director Praveen Sinha, a 1988-batch Gujarat cadre IPS officer, till a formal appointment is made.

According to news agency PTI, serving Indian Police Service (IPS) officers of the senior-most batches — 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1987 — are being considered for the top post in the CBI. Over 100 officers from the 1984-87 batches were considered by the committee, reported NDTV.

Kerala DGP Loknath Behera is

not on the shortlist.

According to an NDTV report, the committee has shortlisted three names for the post. Uttar Pradesh DGP HC Awasthy, SSB DG Kumar Rajesh Chandra and Special Secretary Home Ministry VSK Kaumudi have been shortlisted for the post.

Awasthy, a 1985-batch I

ndian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has served as joint director and in other senior positions in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He is at present the director general of police in Uttar Pradesh.

Chandra, a 1985-batch IPS officer of the Bihar cadre, is at present posted as the director general of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), while Kaumudi, a 1986-batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, is posted as the special secretary for internal security in the Home Ministry.