Former Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra has been appointed by the Union government as a full-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM). A government order issued on Tuesday confirmed that Mishra, a 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, will serve in the rank and pay of a secretary to the government of India from the date he assumes the position.
Mishra’s appointment comes after his extended tenure as ED director was cut short by the Supreme Court on September 15, 2023, following petitions challenging the multiple extensions granted to him by the government. His term was marked by high-profile investigations targeting prominent political leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, as well as several chief ministers, ministers, and MPs, fueling allegations from opposition parties that the agency was being misused as a political weapon by the ruling BJP.
Under Mishra’s leadership, the ED secured deportation and extradition actions in cases involving figures like Christian Michel, Rajiv Saxena, Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Sanjay Bhandari. His five-year tenure as ED chief was the second-longest in the agency’s history. With his latest appointment to the EAC-PM, political circles are abuzz with speculation and criticism over the continued influence of bureaucrats closely linked to politically charged investigations.
