Patna,(BiharTimes): Three Bihar cadre IPS officers are in the race for the post of director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The tenure of the present incumbent, Ranjit Sinha, is ending on December 2, 2014.

Lobbying for this post has already started. Sources said that a powerful Union minister from Bihar is backing, Anil Sinha, at present special director of CBI, as among other factors, he belongs to his caste.
Anil Sinha is said to be in the good book of the incumbent director too. An IPS officer of the 1979 batch of Bihar cadre, Sinha was an additional secretary with the Central Vigilance Commission before joining the CBI.

Former DGP, Bihar, Abhayanand and Railway Protection Force (RPF) chief Krishna Chaudhary are also in the fray.

The chief of National Investigation Agency (NIA), Sharad Kumar, former Mumbai police Commissioner Arup Patnaik and special secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Prakash Mishra, also the contenders for the post.

Mishra has in fact gone on record about his aspiration for the post of CBI director. He has the strong backing of some influential bureaucrats in New Delhi. His clout was evident when home minister Rajnath Singh called up Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik to ensure his deputation to the Centre.

Prakash Mishra had earlier served in the CBI, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and headed the Odisha police before joining the home ministry a few months ago.

However, on Thursday, he was booked by the Odisha vigilance department for his role in alleged irregularities related to the award of contracts by the Odisha Police Housing and Welfare Corporation when he headed it.

According to reports IPS officers of the 1976 to 1979 batches will be short-listed by the government and the final decision will be taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by the PM.