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The Union government on Wednesday, May 13, approved another one-year extension for Praveen Sood as director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), extending his tenure beyond May 24, 2026. The decision was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) following recommendations from the Selection Committee.
A 1986-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Praveen Sood has been serving as the CBI chief since 2023. He had earlier been granted a one-year extension in May 2025 after completing his original two-year term and will now continue leading the agency for another year.
A high-level committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Tuesday, May 12, to discuss the appointment of the next CBI director. During the meeting, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi recorded a dissent note, alleging the government of exercising “institutional capture” of the agency and using it against political opponents, journalists, and dissenting voices.
The meeting lasted for over an hour and took place at the Prime Minister’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg. The panel was headed by Modi and included the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, along with Rahul Gandhi.
In his dissent note, Rahul Gandhi accused the Union government of misusing the CBI to target political opponents, journalists, and critics. He said the inclusion of the Leader of the Opposition on the selection panel was meant to prevent “institutional capture" but alleged that he was denied any meaningful role in the appointment process.
Rahul claimed he was denied crucial “360 degree” reports and was asked to review candidate records only during the meeting, alleging that the selection process was biased and pre-decided.
This article was written by a student interning with TNM