NEW DELHI: Setting to rest all speculation, the Centre on Thursday appointed Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma as the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Verma, a 1979-batch Indian Police Service officer of AGMUT cadre was cleared by a three-member collegiums headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as members.
During the selection panel meeting held on Monday, Kharge is learnt to have recorded his dissent note on Verma's name saying the officer did not have experience of serving in the CBI.
Verma will have a fixed tenure of two years as the chief of CBI and will have a huge responsibility of wrapping up various high profile probes like AgustaWestland helicopter deal among others.
“Shri Alok Kumar Verma, IPS 1979 Batch from Arunachal Pradesh-
Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre appointed as new CBI Director,” PMO spokesperson KS Dhatwalia said in a statement.
Verma was selected from a panel of seven names that included other 1979-batch officers including Director General of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Krishna Chaudhary, Maharashtra DGP S C Mathur and National Police Academy Director Aruna Bahuguna.
The post of CBI director was lying vacant for over one month following superannuation of Anil Sinha from the slot on December 2 last year.
Presently, Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana was serving as the acting director of the anti-corruption investigating agency.
Verma took over as Delhi Police Commissioner on February 29, 2016 before serving Director General of Tihar Prisons here.
He has also served in various positions in Delhi Police, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Mizoram and in the Intelligence Bureau.
Verma is the 27th Director (including two acting chief) of the CBI.