New Delhi/IBNS: To an appeal by the Centre, the Supreme Court on Thursday said Enforcement Directorate chief SK Mishra can stay on in the position till Sept 15, thus extending his tenure by about one and half months.

The earlier deadline of his tenure was July 31 while the government had approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction for an extension of the tenure of ED director Sanjay Kumar Mishra till Oct 15.

According to an NDTV report, "the court -- which earlier held a second and a third extension as 'illegal'-- relented marginally today after the Centre argued about 'unusual circumstances' and underscored a need for continuity."

The 14-page petition filed by the Union Government, before the Supreme Court, said: "The Central government is compelled to approach this (Supreme) Court seeking an extension of the date upto October 15, 2023, which the Respondent No. 2 (Sanjay K Mishra) may be permitted to continue in office, in view of the ongoing FATF (Financial Action Task Force) Review which is at a critical stage where submissions on effectiveness have been made on July 21, and on-site visit is scheduled to be conducted in November 2023.

At such a critical juncture, it is essential to have an individual who is well-acquainted with the overall status of money laundering investigations and proceedings across the country and also the intricacies of the procedures."

Since the Enforcement Directorate is the only money laundering probe agency in India, its role in the presentation of the effectiveness of anti-money laundering provisions and administration before the assessor is very significant and important from a national interest perspective, the Central Government said in its petition filed before the apex court.