A high-level selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Monday to decide the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), but failed to reach a consensus. The meeting, held at the Prime Minister’s Office, was attended by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna—members of the statutory panel responsible for appointing the CBI chief.
With current CBI Director Praveen Sood set to retire on May 25, 2025, after completing his two-year term, the deadlock has opened the door for a possible one-year extension of his tenure. Sood, an IPS officer of the 1986 batch from the Karnataka cadre, took charge in May 2023, succeeding Subodh Kumar Jaiswal.
Panel Fails to Agree on New Chief
Sources confirmed that the selection panel could not agree on a successor from the list of eligible IPS officers submitted by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). In the absence of consensus, the government is likely to invoke provisions under existing rules to extend Sood’s tenure.
Extension Allowed Under Law
Under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, the CBI Director’s tenure is fixed at two years, but can be extended by up to one year under special circumstances.
Praveen Sood, who earlier served as Director General of Police, Karnataka, has been at the helm of several critical investigations during his time at the CBI, and is expected to continue overseeing ongoing probes if his extension is formalized.
