CISF chief Jaiswal to be new CBI director
The Centre on Tuesday appointed Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) chief Subodh Kumar Jaiswal as the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), filling a key position that has been vacant since February.
An order issued by Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) stated that Jaiswal, a 1985batch Maharashtra cadre Indian Police Force (IPS) officer, will be the CBI director for two years, or until further orders.
The post has been lying vacant since the first week of February, when Rishi Kumar Shukla completed his tenure. Additional director Praveen Sinha has been acting as interim chief of the premier investigation agency since then.
The decision to appoint Jaiswal was taken a day after a 90-minute meeting by a highpowered panel of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Congress Lok Sabha floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. Jaiswal’s name was shortlisted along with two others officers -- 1985-batch IPS officer Kumar Rajesh Chandra, and 1986-batch officer VSK Kaumudi.
During the meeting, Chow
dhury opposed the process adopted but later agreed to the three names.
Jaiswal earlier served as the Maharashtra director general of police (DGP) before coming to the Centre on deputation last year.
During his tenure as Maharashtra director general of Police (DGP), he had differences with the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government on various issues, including its transfer policy. He had opposed the transfer of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers before completion of two years of tenure, as per the provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act. He served in the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad, the Maharashtra police special investigation team (SIT) and the state reserve police force. He also oversaw the investigation into the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon violence and the initial charge sheet in the Elgar Parishad case, before the high-profile probes were transferred to the National Investigation Agency.
In his previous central deputation, he served with the Special Protection Group (SPG), which secures the Prime Minister, and with the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the country’s external intelligence agency.