Centre moves Supreme Court seeking extension of tenure for ED Director SK Mishra
The SC on July 11 held as illegal the two extensions granted to ED chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra and curtailed his extended tenure to July 31 from November 18, 2023.
- Jul 26, 2023,
- Updated Jul 26, 2023 5:20 PM IST
Two weeks after the Supreme Court curtailed the ED chief's tenure to July 31, the Centre on Wednesday moved the apex court seeking an extension of the tenure of Sanjay Kumar Mishra. Mishra, 62, was first appointed the director of the ED for two years on November 19, 2018. His term ended in 2020. Later, the central government modified the appointment letter retrospectively, and his two-year period was changed to three years - which was challenged in the top court.
The SC on July 11 held as illegal the two extensions granted to ED chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra and curtailed his extended tenure to July 31 from November 18, 2023.
Now, the Centre has moved SC to extend Mishra's tenure. The apex court acceded to the request and agreed to hear the plea on Thursday at 3.30 pm, legal site Bar and Bench reported, adding that the matter was mentioned by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta before Justice BR Gavai-led bench seeking urgent listing.
On July 11, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, and Sanjay Karol struck down the earlier extension granted to Mishra on the ground that the same was in violation of the Supreme Court's 2021 judgment. In that judgment, the SC directed that Mishra cannot be given any extension beyond November 2021.
The Centre had pushed for Mishra's continuation saying the Financial Action Task Force, a terror financing watchdog, is scheduled to conduct a review and it was necessary for the ED chief to continue during the review meeting. Considering this, the SC bench said in view of the peer review being conducted by the FATF this year and to enable a smooth transition, Mishra's tenure will be till July 31.
Watch: I-T Notice: 7 reasons why you can get a notice from Income Tax Department
Two weeks after the Supreme Court curtailed the ED chief's tenure to July 31, the Centre on Wednesday moved the apex court seeking an extension of the tenure of Sanjay Kumar Mishra. Mishra, 62, was first appointed the director of the ED for two years on November 19, 2018. His term ended in 2020. Later, the central government modified the appointment letter retrospectively, and his two-year period was changed to three years - which was challenged in the top court.
The SC on July 11 held as illegal the two extensions granted to ED chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra and curtailed his extended tenure to July 31 from November 18, 2023.
Now, the Centre has moved SC to extend Mishra's tenure. The apex court acceded to the request and agreed to hear the plea on Thursday at 3.30 pm, legal site Bar and Bench reported, adding that the matter was mentioned by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta before Justice BR Gavai-led bench seeking urgent listing.
On July 11, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court comprising Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, and Sanjay Karol struck down the earlier extension granted to Mishra on the ground that the same was in violation of the Supreme Court's 2021 judgment. In that judgment, the SC directed that Mishra cannot be given any extension beyond November 2021.
The Centre had pushed for Mishra's continuation saying the Financial Action Task Force, a terror financing watchdog, is scheduled to conduct a review and it was necessary for the ED chief to continue during the review meeting. Considering this, the SC bench said in view of the peer review being conducted by the FATF this year and to enable a smooth transition, Mishra's tenure will be till July 31.
Watch: I-T Notice: 7 reasons why you can get a notice from Income Tax Department