The government on Tuesday approved the appointment of former Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra as a full-time member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) with the rank of secretary. During Mishra’s tenure, the ED secured approval for the extradition of fugitives like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

The agency also launched investigations into key political figures, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Robert Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Additionally, it took action against several prominent politicians such as Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, ex-Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti, and National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah.

Mishra was first appointed as ED chief in 2018 and was granted multiple extensions by the Centre. The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) is an independent body that advises the Indian government, particularly the Prime Minister, on economic and related matters. Its responsibilities include analyzing issues referred by the Prime Minister, addressing macroeconomic concerns, and undertaking other tasks as assigned by the PM.

Currently, the EAC-PM is chaired by Suman Bery, with Sanjeev Sanyal and Dr. Shamika Ravi as members. Part-time members include Rakesh Mohan, Dr. Sajjid Chinoy, Dr. Neelkanth Mishra, Nilesh Shah, Prof. TT Ram Mohan, and Dr. Poonam Gupta. Mishra, a retired 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and an expert in economic affairs, previously served as the Chief Commissioner of Income Tax in Delhi before taking charge as ED chief on November 19, 2018, for an initial two-year term. His tenure was extended multiple times, with the Supreme Court later allowing an extension until September 15, 2024, citing "national interest" while ruling out further extensions.

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