SC extends ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra's tenure till September 15
New Delhi, Jul 27: The Supreme Court on Thursday granted an extension of tenure to Enforcement Directorate chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra till September 15 but made it clear there will be no further extension.
The Centre was seeking an extension in Mishra's tenure till October 15.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol said it was granting the extension in "larger public and national interest" but that Mishra will cease to remain ED chief from the midnight of September 15.
During the hearing, the top court questioned the Centre for seeking an extension and asked if the entire department is "full of incompetent people" except the incumbent chief.
"Are we not giving a picture that there is no other person and the entire department is full of incompetent people?" the bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre.
The top law officer argued that the continuity of the ED leadership is necessary in view of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) peer review whose rating matters.
Mehta said Mishra is "not indispensable" but his presence is necessary for the entire peer review exercise.
Representing the ED, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju said, "Some neighbouring countries want India to fall into FATF's 'grey list' and therefore, the ED chief's continuity is necessary".
The bench was hearing the Centre's application seeking the continuance of Mishra's tenure till October 15.
The top court had on July 11 held as "illegal" two successive one-year extensions granted to Mishra and said the Centre's orders were in the "breach" of its mandamus in the 2021 verdict that the IRS officer should not be given further term.
It had also curtailed Mishra's extended tenure to July 31 from November.
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Saif Ali Khan’s attacker allegedly let in by house help, Police investigate
Mumbai: Mumbai Police suspect that the attacker who stabbed actor Saif Ali Khan six times during an alleged burglary attempt was let into his Bandra residence by one of his house helps. The house help is currently under scrutiny as police investigate the incident. The 54-year-old actor, who sustained injuries, including one near his spine, has undergone surgery at Lilavati Hospital and is reportedly out of danger.
The attack occurred late at night, and preliminary investigations suggest the assailant may have entered the premises hours earlier and waited for an opportunity to strike. CCTV footage from the residence did not capture any recent entry, strengthening the suspicion that the attacker was assisted by someone inside.
Police reported that the incident began as a scuffle during the burglary attempt. “An unidentified person intruded into the residence of Actor Saif Ali Khan. The actor and the intruder had a scuffle. The actor is injured and is being treated. Investigation is ongoing,” officials said.
The attack has raised questions about security in Mumbai’s high-profile areas. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised the state government, highlighting similar incidents such as the murder of Baba Siddique and the firing outside Salman Khan’s residence. “If celebrities in Bandra are not safe, who in Mumbai is? This is a serious failure of law and order,” she said.
Actor Pooja Bhatt also expressed concerns, urging authorities to address the issue urgently. “Can this lawlessness please be curbed? Bandra has never felt so unsafe before,” she tweeted, tagging Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior officials.
Police are now focused on identifying the attacker, who fled the scene, and examining the possible role of the house help in the incident.
