Who is Subodh Kumar Jaiswal? From RA&W to Mumbai CP to CISF; all about CBI's new Director

The high-level panel with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm has zeroed-in on IPS officer Subodh Kumar Jaiswal to be the next Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The three-member panel comprising of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana had shortlisted Kumar Rajesh Chandra and VSK Kamudi alongside Subodh Jaiswal from the pool of 109 names, as per sources. The CBI Director heads the central investigating agency and is generally an IPS officer with a rank of Director General of Police (DGP) and is appointed for a tenure of two years. 

The CBI was headed by Rishi Kumar Shukla until February 2, 2021, when he retired following which Praveen Sinha had been given the additional charge until the appointment of a new Director was finalized. Before Shukla, Nageshwar Rao had been Interim CBI Director. His appointment had come after the infamous 'CBI vs CBI' falling-out between then CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma and his then number 2, former CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana.

Who is Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, the new CBI Director? 

Subodh Kumar Jaiswal is an IPS officer from the 1985 batch of Maharashtra cadre and was until his appointment as CBI DIrector the Director-General of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which is a part of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), falling under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Subodh Kumar Jaiswal was born in Dhanbad in 1962 and is an alumnus of the CMRI branch of the De Nobili School in Jharkhand. According to reports, the new CBI Director holds a Masters degree in Business Administration. 

Before heading the CISF, Subodh Kumar Jaiswal had been at the helm of affairs of the Mumbai Police as he was appointed the Commissioner of Mumbai Police in 2018. Before being appointed as the Mumbai Police CP, Jaiswal was a part of Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad. During his stint in the ATS, Jaiswal was chief of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed the Rs 20,000 crore fake stamp paper scam (Telgi scam) and played a key role in unearthing connections between some top officials and the accused in the scam. 

While serving as the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the ATS, he probed the infamous September 2006 Malegoan blast case. In the same period, he held an important post while serving in the Maoists-affected area of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra. Significantly, he was awarded the President’s Police Medal for his distinguished service in 2009. 

After helming the Mumbai Police, Subodh Jaiswal was given charge of the Maharashtra state police as he was appointed the director-general of police (DGP). While Jaiswal's tenure as the DGP was supposed to end in 2022, he had sought central deputation mid-way which landed him at the helm of CISF. Notably, Jaiswal also served in the Research and Analysis Wing (RA&W), India's external intelligence agency for nine years, during which he served as the additional secretary of RA&W for three years. 

Subodh Jaiswal's career highlights:

• Headed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

• Appointed Mumbai Police Commissioner in 2018

• Part of Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad 

• Probed 2006 Malegoan blasts and the 'Telgi' stamp paper scam

• Awarded President's Police Medal in 2009

• Served 9 years in RA&W

Subodh Kumar Jaiswal appointed CBI director