The 1979 batch retired IPS officer of the Haryana cadre Sharad Kumar has been appointed as vigilance commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Sunday. Kumar has been appointed for a term of four years or till he attains the age of 65.
The post was lying vacant since February. According to the rules, Kumar's tenure will come to an end in October 2020.
The Commission comprises a Central Vigilance Commissioner and two vigilance commissioners and currently KV Chowdary — an officer of the 1978 batch of Indian Revenue Service (IRS) — is the CVC and TM Bhasin is the other vigilance commissioner. Bhasin had topped Delhi University's one-year flagship programme in 'Criminology and Forensic Science'.
Kumar had retired in September 2017 after heading the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for over four years. Kumar was appointed as the chief of NIA on July 30, 2013, and even after his retirement he was given an extension.
Following his retirement in October 2015, the NDA government re-employed him on a contractual basis with annual extensions twice, which is considered a rare case in bureaucratic circles.
62-year-old Kumar has been known to have handled the sensitive Malegaon and Samjhauta Express blast cases.
Having got numerous outstanding reports during his service, Kumar is also the recipient of President's Police medals for meritorious and distinguished services in the year 1996 and 2004, respectively.
During the last few months as the NIA chief, Kumar was also in-charge of the Kashmir terror funding case. Post retirement, his name was doing rounds to be a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). But at that time, several NGOs had opposed it.
MAN OF THE HOUR
- The post was lying vacant since February.
- Kumar’s tenure will come to an end in October 2020.
- Kumar had retired in September 2017 after heading the NIA for over four years.
- Kumar was appointed as the NIA chief on July 30, 2013, and even after his retirement he was given an extension.
