NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday permitted an extension of the tenure of the Director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) Sanjay Kumar Mishra till September 15 considering “national interest”. However, the apex court said that it will not entertain any further application for an extension in the matter.

While SK Mishra's tenure is due to end on July 31, the court granted an additional time of two weeks to the ED director. The court also told the central government that SK Mishra should resign on September 15.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had strongly criticized the central government's stand that Mishra should remain as the director of ED. The Centre had argued that Sanjay Kumar Mishra should remain at the head of the ED as the review of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international agency that looks into terror funding and money laundering, is at a critical stage in India. However, the court asked whether the central agency was functioning by depending only on one officer.

The court also asked whether the other officers were so incompetent that they could not coordinate the work related to the FTF. Later, the court permitted to extend SK Mishra's tenure considering the national interest.