SC seeks Centre’s response on plea over extension of ED chief’s term

On September 8 last year, the top court held that Mishra should not be given any further extension and refused to interfere with the decision granting him extension as his tenure was getting over in two months.

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the response of the Centre and the Central Vigilance Commission on a plea questioning the third extension given to Enforcement Directorate chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra and posted the petition for hearing after six weeks.

On November 15, 2021 Centre brought amendments to the Central Vigilance Commission Act and the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act governing the appointment of heads of ED and Central Bureau of Investigation. (HT Photo)

A bench of justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath said, “Issue notice returnable in six weeks,” while hearing a petition filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur. The court also sought Mishra’s response who was named as a respondent in the petition.

Thakur stated in her plea, “The extension of tenure of respondent (Mishra) is destroying the democratic process of our country.” The same petitioner had filed a plea earlier challenging the second extension granted to Mishra last year.

The plea stated, “During the pendency of the writ petition, respondent 1 (Centre) again gave third extension from November 18, 2022 to November 18, 2023 to respondent 2 (Mishra) which shows that respondent 1 has no respect towards rule of law.”

ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra, an Indian Revenue Service officer of 1984 batch got his first one-year extension before his two-year tenure came to a close in November 2020. This was challenged before the Supreme Court by NGO Common Cause.

On November 15, 2021 Centre brought amendments to the Central Vigilance Commission Act and the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act governing the appointment of heads of ED and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) .