Rishi Kumar Shukla takes charge as CBI Director

Senior IPS officer Rishi Kumar Shukla on Monday took charge as the new Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Shukla, a 1983 batch IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, was appointed on Saturday. He will have a fixed tenure of two years, according to a decision taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

Earlier, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who is part of the Selection Committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had opposed Shukla's appointment contending the officer has no experience of anti-corruption investigations.

The Congress leader said the Committee, which met at the Prime Minister's residence last week, shortlisted Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar, Sudeep Lakhtakia, S Javad Ahmad, A P Maheshwari besides Shukla.

Interestingly, Kharge had even opposed the appointment of Alok Verma as CBI Director in 2017. Verma was ousted from the CBI on January 10. Since then, M Nageshwara Rao was serving as the Interim Director.