The committee deliberated on several senior IPS officers’ names but could not seem to agree on a candidate………….
Praveen Sood, the incumbent Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is poised for a one-year tenure extension after a high-level selection committee failed to reach a consensus on his successor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of a three-member committee responsible for appointing the CBI Director, attended by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. The committee deliberated on several senior IPS officers’ names but could not seem to agree on a candidate, leaving Sood, a 1986-batch Karnataka-cadre IPS officer, to assume the CBI directorship for another term while his two-year term is set to conclude on the 25th ofMay.
The proposed extension has caused contention. Rahul Gandhi has even submitted a note of dissent opposing the move. Sources suggest Gandhi’s objection stems from concerns over transparency and the selection process, though specifics are undisclosed. The government, however, appears inclined to extend Sood’s tenure, citing continuity in leadership, per posts on X. Under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, the CBI Director’s initial two-year term can be extended up to five years with the committee’s approval, a provision reinforced by a 2019 Supreme Court directive.
Sood’s potential extension comes in a time where debates over the CBI’s autonomy and impartiality are being called to question. Netizens allege Sood’s tenure has been marked by selective investigations, particularly in Karnataka, raising questions about the agency’s credibility. Supporters argue his experience as Karnataka’s Director General of Police equips him to lead complex investigations.
