Former Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra has been appointed as a full-time member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council.
The Cabinet Secretariat notification stated that the prime minister has approved the appointment of Mishra as full-time member of the EAC in the rank and pay of Secretary to Government of India, from the date of assumption of charge of post, as applicable for re-employed government officials.
SANJAY KUMAR MISHRA’S ED TENURE
The former ED chief had become an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer in 1984.
Mishra served as the ED chief till September 15, 2023. The government had sought an extension of his tenure, and the Supreme Court in July that year had granted so in national interest.
Mishra was made the full-time chief of the agency in November 2018 for two years. His tenure was scheduled to end in 2020 but the government sought an extension. The former ED chief's superannuation in the interregnum was challenged before the Supreme Court. In 2021, the apex court ruled that there would not be any further extension, which prompted the Centre to bring in an Ordinance for his continuation, allowing ED and CBI directors to occupy the office for up to five years.
The second extension happened on November 17, 2021 for a period of a year. On November 18, 2022, the government sought another extension for a year till November 18, 2023. The Supreme Court allowed it but reduced the period till September 15.
The Opposition parties had criticised the BJP for using central agencies for its beck and call, and for investigation into leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, P Chidambaram, Hemant Soren, DK Shivakumar, Sharad Pawar, Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain.