CBI to do with an interim chief for now

NEW DELHI: CBI director Anil Sinha retired on Friday handing over charge to additional director Rakesh Asthana, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer of the 1984 batch, who was his second in command. Without appointing a full-time director, the government issued a notification saying that Asthana would take charge as interim director “with immediate effect” and continue “until further orders”.
TOI had reported on Thursday that the government may not yet appoint a full-time director.It is the first time in 10 years that the government has not appointed a new CBI chief to take over from the outgoing director.
Earlier, Karnal Singh was given repeated extensions as interim enforcement directorate chief before he was made full-time director.
During his tenure in Gujarat, Asthana was the head of the special investigation team on the Godhra train arson case in which 59 people were charred to death in February 2002. Later, Asthana also served as the police commissioner of Vadodara and Surat.