Karnataka Director General of Police (DGP) Praveen Sood was appointed the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on May 14, according to a Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) order.
The key appointment will see Mr. Sood at the helm of affairs of the premier investigating agency during the 2024 general elections.
Mr. Sood who has neither served in the CBI nor with the Union government ever in his career, was not empanelled as DGP at the Centre. His name was not among the original panel of officers short listed for the job. An official said that the empanelment at Centre will not apply in the case of Director, CBI as in the case of other Central government appointments, as he or she derives the powers under the Delhi Police Special Establishment Act, 1946.
“Approval of the Competent Authority is hereby conveyed to the appointment of Shri Praveen Sood, IPS (KN:86) as Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge of the office vice Shri Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, IPS (MH:85) consequent upon completion of his tenure,” the order said.
The Hindu reported earlier that Mr. Sood’s name had been finalised on May 13 by a three-member panel comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, and Leader of the Opposition (Congress) in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
Mr. Sood is a 1986-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre. He was appointed as the State DGP three years ago. He hails from Himachal Pradesh and is an alumnus of IIT-Delhi. He was to retire in May 2024, but will now get a two-year fixed tenure and be in office till May 2025 at least.
The two-year fixed tenure of the present incumbent Subodh Kumar Jaiswal who is a 1985-batch IPS officer from Maharashtra cadre is coming to an end on May 25.
In March, Senior Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar had accused Mr. Sood of favouring the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) government in the State and registering cases against the Congress party members. Congress party swept to power in the assembly elections results announced on May 13.
