CBI Gets 2 IPS Officers on Five-Year Deputation: Kiran Narayanan Appointed SP, R Chethan DIG
The Central Bureau of Investigation will get two experienced police officers from Kerala and Karnataka cadres, with 2014-batch IPS officer Kiran Narayanan joining as Superintendent of Police and 2010-batch IPS officer R Chethan taking charge as Deputy Inspector General.Both have been appointed on five-year central deputation.
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to strengthen its cadre with the induction of two serving IPS officers from Kerala and Karnataka. The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the appointments of Kiran Narayanan and R Chethan to the central investigative agency, with the two officers joining at the ranks of Superintendent of Police and Deputy Inspector General respectively.
Separate appointment orders were issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 15, 2026. Under the orders, both officers will serve in the CBI for five years from the date they assume charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Kiran Narayanan is a 2014-batch IPS officer of the Kerala cadre, while R Chethan belongs to the 2010 batch of the Karnataka cadre. Both officers have spent significant portions of their careers handling policing and specialised assignments in their respective state police forces before moving to the central agency.
Kiran Narayanan Appointed CBI Superintendent of Police
Ms Kiran Narayanan, IPS:2014, has been appointed Superintendent of Police in the CBI. A 2014-batch Kerala cadre officer, she was serving as Superintendent of Police (Internal Security) in the State Special Branch at Thiruvananthapuram before her move to the central agency.
Her appointment places her in a key operational rank within the CBI and marks a transition from state-level security responsibilities to central investigation.
Narayanan will have a five-year tenure in the CBI, calculated from the date on which she assumes charge. The order also makes the tenure subject to further orders, meaning the period could be modified through a subsequent government decision.
She is a direct-recruit IPS officer who entered the service through the Union Public Service Commission.
Kiran Narayanan’s Career in Kerala Police
Born in Kerala on November 24, 1983, Narayanan holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM). She joined the Indian Police Service on December 22, 2014.
During her career with the Kerala Police, she has handled assignments involving policing, security and internal-security responsibilities. One of the notable positions in her state service was that of City Police Commissioner of Kollam.
During her tenure as Commissioner of Police in Kollam, she was associated with the “Mukthyodayam” anti-drug campaign, an initiative focused on addressing drug-related concerns.
Her subsequent assignments included responsibilities connected with internal security. Before her latest appointment, she was serving as SP (Internal Security) in the State Special Branch at Thiruvananthapuram.
Her move to the CBI now takes her experience in state policing and internal security into a central investigative organisation.
R Chethan Appointed CBI Deputy Inspector General
The second officer moving to the CBI is R Chethan, IPS:2010. A 2010-batch Karnataka cadre officer, Chethan has been appointed Deputy Inspector General in the central agency.
Before his appointment to the CBI, he was serving as Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), Western Range, Mangaluru.
Like Narayanan, Chethan has been given a five-year central deputation. His tenure will begin from the date he assumes charge in the CBI and will continue for five years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Chethan is also a direct-recruit IPS officer who entered the service through the UPSC.
R Chethan’s Career in Karnataka Police
A native of Karnataka, Chethan holds both a Bachelor of Engineering degree and an MBA. He joined the IPS on August 30, 2010. His career in the Karnataka Police has included a broad mix of district policing, specialised security assignments, intelligence responsibilities and senior supervisory positions.
He served as District Superintendent of Police in Chikmagalur, Ballari, Davangere and Mysuru. These assignments gave him experience in district-level policing across different parts of Karnataka.
Chethan also served with the Anti-Naxal Force and the Coastal Security Police. These postings added specialised operational and security experience to his career. He later served as SP, Intelligence, in Bengaluru before being promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police.
His career subsequently included service as Police Commissioner of Kalaburagi City, another important urban policing assignment in Karnataka. In July 2024, Chethan was appointed Commissioner for Youth Empowerment & Sports. He later returned to a senior police field assignment, taking charge as DIGP of the Western Range, Mangaluru, in August 2026.
Only weeks later, his appointment to the CBI was approved, moving him from the Karnataka Police to the central investigative agency.
Two Experienced State Police Officers Move to CBI
The appointments bring together two officers with substantially different but wide-ranging policing experiences. Narayanan moves to the CBI from an internal-security assignment in Kerala. Her career has included city policing in Kollam, the “Mukthyodayam” anti-drug campaign and State Special Branch responsibilities at Thiruvananthapuram.
Chethan, meanwhile, brings experience from district policing, specialised forces, intelligence, coastal security and senior command positions in Karnataka. His postings have included multiple districts, the Anti-Naxal Force, Coastal Security Police, Intelligence, Kalaburagi City Police Commissionerate and the Western Range.
Their respective appointments also reflect the movement of serving IPS officers from state cadres into central police and investigative organisations.
Five-Year Deputation to Begin After Assumption of Charge
The Ministry of Home Affairs has specified a five-year tenure for both officers. Importantly, the period will be counted from the date each officer actually assumes charge in the CBI rather than from the date on which the appointment order was issued.
Both orders also include the standard provision that the deputation will continue for five years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The September 15, 2026 orders therefore set the administrative framework for their movement, while their actual CBI tenure will commence when they take charge of their respective posts.
For Kiran Narayanan, the new assignment means moving from Kerala’s State Special Branch to the CBI as Superintendent of Police. For R Chethan, it marks a transition from DIGP, Western Range, Mangaluru, to the CBI at the rank of Deputy Inspector General.
The two appointments add experienced state-cadre IPS officers to the central agency at two different levels of its supervisory structure. Their induction also marks another instance of senior police officers moving from state policing roles to central deputation with the CBI.
