NEW DELHI: CBI Director Anil Sinha retired from the post on Friday handing over the charge to additional director Rakesh Asthana who will head the agency as acting Director.
Asthana’s appointment as acting director comes as the Government did not name any full-time chief of the anti-corruption agency.
“The Competent Authority has approved assignment of additional charge for the post of Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to Shri Rakesh Asthana , IPS (GJ-84), Additional Director, CBI with effect from the date of relinquishment of charge by Shri Anil Kumar Sinha (BH-79) on completion of his tenure, with immediate effect and until further orders,” said the order issued by the Ministry of Personnel.
Asthana, a Gujarat-cadre officer of 1984-batch, got elevated as the second-in-command in CBI two days back when Special Director R K Dutta was shifted to the Union Home Ministry as a Special Secretary (Internal Security).
This is the first occasion in a decade that a full-time director has not been appointed in the agency.
The CBI chief is selected through a collegium comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition or largest party in the Opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. The collegium has not been able to meet.
Sinha took charge of the agency when his predecessor Ranjit Sinha was embroiled in a controversy relating to meeting high profile accused persons at his official residence. During his two-year tenure, Anil Sinha kept away from the Media.
Before relinquishing the charge, Sinha in an informal interaction with reporters said his team of officers performed exceedingly well.
He said he owned any shortcoming which might have been felt in the working of the agency, but gave the credit for success to his team of officers who worked hard.
"Anti-corruption endeavors have increased during last two years which should be a deterrent to corrupt people," Sinha claimed.