Central Vigilance Commission extends experts panel's tenure on prosecution sanction

NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission ( CVC) has extended by six months, till December 1, the tenure of an eight-member committee of experts formed to review pending cases referred to it by CBI for sanction of prosecution.

The tenure of the committee has been extended for a period of six months with effect from July 1, said an order issued by CVC.

The experts are Vivek Mehrotra, retired IAS officer and former Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, V S Jain, ex- Chairman, SAIL and three former IPS officers Uday Shankar Dutt, Balwinder Singh and R N Ravi.

Besides them, Prakash Chandra, the then Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes ( CBDT), D L Rawal, former Chairman and Managing Director of Dena Bank and M Venugopalan, former CMD, Bank of India are also on the committee.

The committee was formed for a period of two years on July 1, 2012.

CVC tenders advice in respect of officers coming under its jurisdiction against whom the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after probing the case, has recommended sanction for prosecution.

"On a few occasions, where the Commission has in agreement with the CBI's recommendations, advised sanction for prosecution against a public servant, the disciplinary authority, in disagreement with the CBI's recommendations, approaches the Commission for reconsideration of its advice.

"A Committee under the chairmanship of a Vigilance Commissioner along with two experts from the panel takes a final view on the case," a CVC official said explaining the working of the panel.