After Alok Verma's exit, PM-led panel to meet on January 24 to select new CBI Director: Sources

Jan 16 (AZINS) The high-powered Selection Committee is likely to meet on January 24 to appoint the new CBI Director, a PTI report quoting sources said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads the committee, in which the Chief Justice of India and the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge are the other members. According to the report, the government had proposed the meeting on January 21 earlier while Kharge wanted the meeting on January 24 or 25.

After mutual consultations, the government has finalised January 24 as the date for the meeting to select the new CBI Director, a post which is lying vacant ever since the government removed Alok Verma and appointed him as Director General Fire Service.

IPS officer M Nageswara Rao was named the interim director of the CBI.

The Congress has been attacking the prime minister for not appointing a regular CBI Director. Kharge had also written to the prime minister demanding early holding of the meeting of the high powered committee to appoint a regular CBI Director.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear next week a plea by an NGO challenging the government order appointing IPS officer M Nageswara Rao as interim director of the CBI.

CBI's Additional Director Rao was given the charge of interim chief on January 10 till the appointment of a new director after a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Alok Kumar Verma as the chief of the probe agency on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty.