NEW DELHI: Responding to the Supreme Court’s suggestion on bringing forward the meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) headed by the prime minister for appointing the CBI director, the Centre on Monday told the court that the meeting could not be convened before May 2 as one of the members of the panel, leader of the largest opposition party in Lok sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, was not available.
"The secretary (DoPT) was informed by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury that he would not be available to participate in the meeting till May 2. In the light of this, the meeting of the committee under Section 4A of the Act shall be convened immediately after May 2. It may be mentioned that Praveen Sinha, who has been directed to look after the duties of the CBI director till the appointment of a new director, is the senior-most IPS officer posted in the rank of additional director, CBI," the government said in its affidavit.
The HPC consists of the PM, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha or where there is no such leader of opposition, then the leader of the largest opposition party in the House, and the Chief Justice of India or an SC judge nominated by him.
The government filed its response on a petition seeking the court's direction to the Centre to appoint a CBI director at the earliest. In the last hearing, the SC asked solicitor general Tushar Mehta to take instruction from the government on whether the meeting could be brought forward after it contended that the meeting would be convened after May 2.
Refuting the allegation that the government was waiting for the CJI’s retirement on April 24, Mehta had said the meeting was to be convened after May 2 in view of assembly elections.