New Delhi: President Ramnath Kovind signed on the ordinances of service extension of the CBI and ED Chiefs upto three years, after their retirement.

Union Government has brought two ordinances to extend the tenures of the CBI and ED Chiefs to up to five years. The Chiefs of the central agencies currently have two-year tenure. The Chiefs of the two agencies can be given extensions every year for up to three years after they complete the two-year term.

Whereas the parliament is not in session and the President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action, the ordinances underscore.  The statements further said that no such extension shall be granted after the completion of a period of five years in total including the period mentioned in the initial appointment.

Supreme Court Justice LN Rao’s  bench recently gave a judgment in the case linked to the extension of ED Chief SK Mishra, who took charge in 2018, underlining the extension of tenure should be done only in rare and exceptional cases.

Today’s development comes ahead of the completion of his tenure on November 17, which was extended by another year last year, in what was called as an unprecedented move by some critics. The ED is a specialized financial investigation agency under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, investigates cases linked to Foreign Exchange Laws and Regulations and money laundering.