CBI Director Praveen Sood Granted Another Service Extension; Tenure Extended for Second Consecutive Time

New Delhi: The Central Government has decided to extend the tenure of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Praveen Sood once again. This marks the second service extension during his tenure. Earlier on Tuesday, a meeting was held at the PMO regarding the appointment of the next CBI Director, which was attended by the Chief Justice and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.

Till When Will Praveen Sood Remain CBI Director?

On Wednesday, the Central Government extended the tenure of CBI Director Praveen Sood by another year. Sood had assumed charge as the CBI Director on May 25, 2023, for a two-year term. Prior to this, in May 2025, he had already been granted a one-year service extension; he will now continue to hold this post until May 2027.

According to a statement issued by the government, the decision to extend his tenure was taken during a meeting of the Selection Committee held on Tuesday, presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The committee also included the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Based on the recommendations of the Selection Committee, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the extension of Sood's tenure for a period of one year.

Why Did Rahul Gandhi Express Objections to the Selection Process?

Following the meeting, Rahul Gandhi expressed strong dissent regarding the selection process for the CBI Director. He filed a note of dissent, describing the process as biased. Rahul Gandhi stated that he did not wish to be a part of a selection process where questions regarding impartiality are raised.

Has Praveen Sood Handled Several High-Profile Cases?

Praveen Sood is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1986 batch from the Karnataka cadre. Prior to being appointed as the Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), he served as the Director General of Police (DGP) for Karnataka.

Sood was born in 1964 in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. He joined the Indian Police Service at the age of 22. He completed his studies in Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. Additionally, he holds postgraduate degrees from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, and the New York-based Maxwell School of Governance at Syracuse University.

Sood has supervised the investigation of several high-profile cases. A tech-savvy professional, Sood has also worked in collaboration with the judiciary in Karnataka to strengthen the CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems) and ICJS (Interoperable Criminal Justice System).