CBI gets first woman special director Archana Sundaram after much drama

NEW DELHI: Archana Sundaram, a 1980 batch IPS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, has been appointed special director in the CBI.

The appointment of Sundaram, the first woman officer to have been appointed special director in the country's premier investigating agency, came after a ding-dong tussle in which CBI chief Ranjit Sinha prevailed over the five-member board.

Of the five IPS officers shortlisted by the selection board, Sinha backed Sundaram. The members of the board, who include the chief vigilance commissioner, the two central vigilance commissioners and Union home and personnel secretaries, voted for R Panchananda, former police commissioner of Kolkata.

Although Panchananda failed to pass muster with the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, the selection board re-endorsed him.

The ACC, however, remained unimpressed and picked Sundaram, instead of referring the matter to the selection board a second time.