The story so far: The Supreme Court on July 27 extended the tenure of the incumbent Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED) Sanjay Kumar Mishra till September 15, 2023, to serve ‘public and national interest.’
The Court, in a verdict delivered on July 11, directed Mr. Mishra to quit office by July 31 after opining that his continuance till November 2023 at the helm on a third consecutive extension was illegal. The government had been given time till July 31 to find a replacement for Mr. Mishra, taking into consideration the government’s submission that Mishra’s presence was necessary for the ongoing evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). FATF is an independent international body to prevent and combat money laundering and terror financing, with its secretariat located at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
However, just four days before the deadline, the Union government filed an urgent application asking the Supreme Court to permit Mr. Mishra to continue in his post till October 15 on the grounds that his presence was necessary for the still-ongoing evaluation by the FATF.
