The Centre approved a one-year extension in Praveen Sood's tenure as Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), extending his appointment beyond May 24, 2026.
This decision followed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's strong dissent against the selection process for the next CBI chief.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued an official order approving the extension, which was based on recommendations from the Selection Committee. Sood, a 1986-batch Karnataka cadre IPS officer, will now continue to lead the agency for another year.
Gandhi's dissent note, submitted during a meeting of the high-powered selection panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accused the government of reducing the selection process to a mere formality. He claimed he was denied access to crucial documents, including self-appraisals and 360-degree reports of eligible candidates.
Gandhi asserted that he could not abdicate his constitutional duty by participating in this biased exercise and accused the government of misusing the CBI to target opposition leaders, journalists, and critics.
This extension marks the second for the CBI director. In May 2025, Sood received a one-year extension after no consensus on his successor could be reached. His original two-year term was set to end on May 24 last year.
Sood was appointed as CBI Director in May 2023 for a two-year term, succeeding his predecessor Subodh Jaiswal. The appointment of the CBI Director is made by the central government on the recommendation of a three-member selection committee, headed by the Prime Minister and comprising the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India.
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