New Delhi, May 5:— Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday evening chaired a high-level meeting to deliberate the appointment of the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as the tenure of incumbent chief Praveen Sood nears its end.
Held at the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi, the meeting was attended by the statutory members of the selection committee: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna.
The panel convened with just weeks remaining in the two-year term of CBI Director Praveen Sood, a 1986-batch Indian Police Service officer from the Karnataka cadre, whose tenure is set to conclude on May 25. Sood, who previously served as the Director-General of Police in Karnataka, assumed charge as CBI chief on May 25, 2023.
According to official procedure, the Director of the CBI is appointed by the Central Government based on the recommendation of a three-member committee.
The panel is headed by the Prime Minister and includes the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India.
“The selection of the CBI Director is a matter of institutional integrity and independence,” a senior government official familiar with the process said.
“It is crucial that the leadership of the agency is decided through broad-based consultation at the highest levels.”
This statutory committee structure was laid down to ensure transparency and bipartisan consensus in the appointment of the chief of India’s premier investigative agency.
No immediate announcement was made following the meeting, and it remains unclear whether a final decision has been reached.
However, sources indicated that discussions centered around a shortlist of senior IPS officers.
“The CBI plays a vital role in upholding the rule of law. Its leadership must command both operational expertise and public trust,” an official close to the judiciary commented.
With time ticking toward May 25, the government is expected to finalize and announce the new appointment in the coming days.
