Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, July 27: Sanjay Kumar Mishra was given permission by the Supreme Court on Thursday to serve as the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) Director till September 15. The central government requested an extension of his tenure till October 15 on the grounds that Mishra’s absence from the ongoing Financial Action Task Force (FATF) assessment would be detrimental to the country.
When extending Mishra’s term, the top court stated that the Centre’s application was only taken into consideration since it was in the best interests of the country.
This follows the top court’s declaration on July 11 that Mishra’s third extension to his position as head of the ED was “illegal” and in breach of its judgment in 2021. However, it allowed him to stay in office until July 31 in order to facilitate a “smooth transfer”.
The central government submitted an urgent motion on Wednesday to the Supreme Court asking for the tenure of the ED chief to be extended. It stated that the FATF evaluation is at a crucial point, that effectiveness submissions were filed on July 21, 2023, and that an on-site visit is scheduled for November 2023.
The government stated that it was crucial to have someone like Mishra in charge as ED chief because of his familiarity with the overall status of money laundering investigations and proceedings across the nation as well as the nuances of the agency’s operations, procedures, and activities.
