The incumbent chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Praveen Sood, is likely to get a one-year extension, The Indian Express has learned. The possibility was discussed during a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to select Sood’s successor, which was also attended by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. According to sources, the three-member selection panel, which met at the Prime Minister's Office, deliberated on the names of a few senior IPS officers. However, no consensus could be reached on any of the suggested candidates, following which the members agreed to extend Sood’s tenure by a year. The meeting began around 6:45 pm and concluded by 7:30 pm. The decision is expected to be announced soon by way of a gazette notification. The deliberations come ahead of the scheduled end of Sood’s two-year fixed tenure on May 25. A 1986-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre, Sood served as the state’s Director General of Police before being appointed as CBI Director on May 25, 2023. His career includes postings as Superintendent of Police in Bellary and Raichur; Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) in Bengaluru City; Commissioner of Police in both Mysuru and Bengaluru; Additional Director General of Police (ADGP); Principal Secretary (Home); Director General of Police (Internal Security); and DGP (Criminal Investigation Department). He has also served as an advisor to the Government of Mauritius. Sood is a graduate (B. Tech) in Civil Engineering from IIT, Delhi; Post Graduation in Public Policy & Management form IIM, Bengaluru and Maxwell School of Governance, Syracuse University, New York. Under the provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, the CBI Director is appointed for a fixed term of two years by the central government on the recommendation of a committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India. The process is intended to ensure transparency and shield the agency from political influence. The CBI, India’s premier investigative agency, plays a critical role in probing cases referred by the central government, state governments, or the courts.
