In a recent development, Karnataka DGP Praveen Sood has been appointed as the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), as announced by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on Sunday, May 14. The decision was made by a three-member panel comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Leader of the Opposition (Congress) in Lok Sabha. Praveen Sood, a 1986-batch IPS officer of the Karnataka cadre and an alumnus of IIT-Delhi, has been serving as the State DGP for the past three years. He hails from Himachal Pradesh. His appointment as the CBI Director comes with a tenure of two years until May 2025. However, the selection process has not been without controversy.
Earlier, in March, senior Congress leader DK Shivkumar criticized Sood, accusing him of incompetence and alleging his affiliation with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Karnataka. The appointment of Sood reportedly faced opposition from Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who submitted a dissenting note against his selection. Chowdhury argued that Sood was not among the initially shortlisted candidates for the position and claimed that Sood’s name was added at the last minute.
Media reports suggest that the shortlisted candidates’ names were shared with the panel members before the meeting, implying that Sood’s inclusion was a surprise to some. Sudhir Saxena, the DGP of Madhya Pradesh, was also under consideration for the role. Despite the controversy surrounding Sood’s appointment, he has now assumed the responsibility of leading the prestigious investigative agency, the CBI.