Tenure of Sanjay Kumar Mishra will not be extended anymore; Centre tells SC

NEW DELHI: The central government has informed the Supreme Court that the tenure of ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra will end in November and that his tenure will not be extended after that. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated the Centre's position while the apex court was considering the petitions filed by those, including Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, against the extension of Sanjay Kumar Mishra's term for the third time.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended the government's decision to extend the tenure of the ED Director and said that the money laundering offence has trans-border implications. He said that the extension was for administrative reasons as it was vital for the country's evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). He also alleged that the petitioners are trying to turn the court into a political platform. The bench headed by Justice BR Gavai asked whether the effectiveness of the Enforcement Directorate will be lost if one person steps down. After the conclusion of the hearing, the pleadings were moved for judgment. The court reserved its order after hearing all sides' submissions.

Amicus curiae and senior advocate KV Vishwanathan told the court that the extension of tenure was an illegal act. Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that the extension of tenure can be granted only in exceptional circumstances.

"ED's power has been above that of CBI for some years now. 95% of political personalities arrested in money laundering cases are from the Opposition. Extending the tenure of the ED Director will affect the independence of the investigative agency," Prashant Bhushan said.