Karnal Singh to continue as Enforcement Directorate head

New Delhi: Senior IPS officer Karnal Singh, whose tenure as officiating Chief of Enforcement Directorate was to end on November 19, will continue to hold the post for another three months or till appointment of a regular incumbent.

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved assigning additional charge of the post of Enforcement Director to Singh, a 1984 batch IPS officer of Union Territory cadre, for a period of three months or till appointment of a regular incumbent," the Department of Personnel said in an order today.

He had taken over as acting Director of Enforcement Directorate in August this year after government curtailed tenure of Rajan S Katoch, which was till October 31.

Singh, Special Director in ED, had been given charge of the agency at a time when it was being accused by BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy of not properly investigating the National Herald case. Swamy has been accusing Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul of money laundering in that case.

The agency has a mandate to enforce two of the most stringent laws in the country -- Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to check black money and hawala trade cases.