CBI Director Praveen Sood likely to get one-year extension: Report

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director, Praveen Sood, is likely to get a one-year extension, according to a media report.

There was no consensus on any of the suggested names for the new CBI Director during the meeting of the three-member high-level committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, May 5. The members agreed to extend Praveen Sood’s tenure by a year, The Indian Express reported quoting sources.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna, are the other two members who met at Prime Minister's Office to finalise the name. The meeting began around 6:45 pm and concluded by 7:30 pm.

Praveen Sood is set to complete his term on May 25. The director of the country's premier investigating agency is appointed for a fixed term of two years, which can be extended up to a maximum of five years.

Who is Praveen Sood?

Praveen Sood, a 1986-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Karnataka cadre and former state police chief, assumed charge of the Central Bureau of Investigation in May 2023, succeeding Subodh Kumar Jaiswal.

Sood has served in various important positions during his long tenure of about 37 years in the IPS.

Praveen Sood has also worked as an advisor to the Government of Mauritius. He has supervised the investigation of high-profile cases involving high net-worth individuals, cases having inter-state and international ramifications, and also spearheaded the investigation and detection of crimes, including Cyber fraud and Information Technology-related issues.

According to a 2019 Supreme Court directive, officers who have less than six months of service, are not eligible for consideration for the post of CBI Director. The Court also mandated that the director’s tenure must be a minimum of two years and that any transfer can occur only with the approval of the appointing committee.