New Delhi, Jan 15 (UNI) Taking cognisance of the Supreme Court order directing appointment of a new CBI Chief, a three-member committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet tomorrow here to consider name for the chief of country's premier probe agency. The selection committee has Congress group leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar as its other members. The amended Delhi Special Police Establishment Act empowers committee headed by the Prime Minister to appoint the new CBI Chief, sources said here today. The rules also say that the Chief Justice of India can also nominate a sitting Supreme Court Judge to the meeting. "When making recommendations, the committee can considers the views of the outgoing director," a source said here. The appointment of new CBI Chief has run into high-voltage controversy after the appointment of Rakesh Asthana as the 'acting' CBI Director was challenged by NGO, Common Cause, in the Supreme Court last month. A two-member bench of the Supreme Court had asked the counsel for Common Cause, Prashant Bhushan, to wait till the three-member committee headed by Prime Minister meets. The Government had assured the apex court that the panel would meet and decide on the appointment of a regular CBI chief. Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi had denied IPS officer RK Dutta was shunted out from the CBI to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a mala fide manner.The committee is likely to consider names of at least 40 IPS officers reportedly sent to the Government for the prized post. Among others two women IPS officers -- Archana Ramasundaram, head of Sashastra Seema Bal, and Meeran Borwankar, Director-General, Bureau of Police Research and Development could also be considered. Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Verma and another officer of 1979 batch ITBP Director General Krishna Chaudhary are also in the race. The appointment of Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as the interim chief had earned the Government much flak director of the investigating agency. Among others, the names of SC Mathur, a 1981 batch IPS officer and working with Maharashtra State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation, is also doing the round. The post of CBI director is lying vacant for over one month following retirement of Anil Sinha in December, 2016. The appointment of new CBI Chief would also come at a time when the campaign that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is allegedly "abusing" CBI against Trinamool Congress leaders vis-a-vis Rose Valley chit fund scam is at its peak. Two Trinamool MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Tapas Paul are already behind bars. UNI DEVN SNU 1531