On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a high-powered committee headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Congress Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury named IPS officer Subodh Kumar Jaiswal as the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The current director-general of the Central Industrial Security Force is a 1985 batch officer from the Maharashtra cadre (CISF).
Jaiswal will take over the CBI, according to an order given by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC). The role has been vacant since Rishi Kumar Shukla’s term ended in the first week of February. Since then, Additional Director Praveen Sinha has been acting as interim head of the premier investigative department.
The panel decided to nominate Jaiswal to the prestigious role after a 90-minute meeting, at which a Congress representative was allegedly critical of the selection process.
From the moment he enters the CBI, Jaiswal will have a two-year fixed term.
Before coming to the center on deputation last year, the senior officer worked as the Director-General of Maharashtra Police.
During his time as DGP of Maharashtra, he had disagreements with the Shiv Sena-led coalition government on a number of matters, including the transition scheme. He had objected to IPS officers being transferred until their two-year term was over, as required by the Act.
He has also worked with the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad, the Maharashtra Police Special Investigation Unit (SIT), and the Maharashtra State Reserve Police Force.
In his previous central deputation, he worked for the Prime Minister’s Special Protection Group (SPG) and the country’s foreign security service, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
According to sources familiar with the situation, the CJI made it clear during Monday’s meeting that there should be no dispute in the appointment process and that officials who have been retired for less than six months should not be eligible for the CBI chief’s role. This, according to officials, automatically ruled out three 1984 batch IPS officers – Y C Modi, Rakesh Asthana, and S S Deswal – who were all good candidates for the role, as they are due to retire in May, July, and August, respectively.
Officials said the panel settled on the names of Jaiswal, Kumar Rajesh Chandra, another 1985 batch IPS officer, and V S K Kaumudi, a 1986 batch IPS officer.
