The Centre has extended by a year the tenure of Enforcement Directorate chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra, believed to be close to the political leadership.
The government has modified his appointment order on completion of two years of his tenure at a time the agency is probing a large number of sensitive cases including against political opponents. Mishra’s tenure was to end next week as the ED director’s post comes with a fixed term of two years.
A government order on November 13 said the previous order dated November 19, 2018, through which Mishra had been appointed ED director had been modified with the President’s approval. It will now be read as Mishra’s appointment as the director of ED for a period of three years.
Mishra, who is said to be close to Nripendra Misra, former principal secretary to the Prime Minister, is supervising probes into high-profile cases including that of the National Herald newspaper that involves members of the Gandhi family.
The agency is also investigating a money-laundering angle to Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding cases linked to FIRs registered by the National Investigation Agency. The ED has attached and seized assets in the case.
After the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, it had ordered reopening of the National Herald case. Besides, the ED is probing alleged money-laundering cases against several Opposition leaders.
The ED is also investigating the AgustaWestland chopper deal, the INX Media and Aircel-Maxis cases in which senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram and his son Karti are accused, and the Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya money-laundering cases.
