CBI Director Praveen Sood. File | Photo credit: PTI
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Praveen Sood has been given another one-year extension, as approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on Wednesday (May 13, 2026) on the recommendation of a selection committee.
The ACC order said Mr. Sood’s tenure has been extended by one year beyond May 24, 2026. The 1986-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was earlier granted a one-year extension in May 2025 after completing his two-year tenure as CBI chief.
A high-powered committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on Tuesday (May 12, 2026) to decide on the appointment of the next CBI director. During the meeting, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi made a dissenting remark accusing the government of “institutional capture” of the agency to target political opponents, journalists and critics.
The panel, headed by the Prime Minister, also includes Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and the Leader of the Opposition. The meeting was held at Prime Minister’s Residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg and lasted for over an hour. The current CBI director’s one-year extension was due to expire on 24 May 2026.
Mr. Gandhi shared his disapproving note on the handle X. “Your government has repeatedly misused the CBI, which is supposed to be India’s premier investigative agency, to target political opponents, journalists and critics. To prevent such institutional capture, the Leader of the Opposition is included in the selection committee. Unfortunately, you have continued to deny me any meaningful role in the process,” he said.
He said he had not been provided with self-assessments or 360-degree reports of suitable candidates despite repeated written requests.
“Instead, I was expected to review the evaluation records of 69 candidates for the first time during a committee meeting. 360 degree reports were directly denied to me. A detailed review of these records is critical to assessing each candidate’s history and performance. This deliberate withholding of information without any legal basis makes a mockery of the selection process and ensures that only your chosen candidate is pre-selected.
Published – 13 May 2026 22:04 IST
