NEW DELHI (TIP): The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta as the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The 1987 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Punjab cadre was removed as the State DGP and posted to the Police Housing Corporation after Charanjit Singh Channi replaced Captain (retd.) Amarinder Singh as Punjab’s Chief Minister in 2021. Mr. Gupta had been on an offer list for Central deputation for almost a year. Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Vini Mahajan, his wife, who was the Chief Secretary of Punjab during the tenure of Capt. Singh was appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, in January this year. Mr. Gupta and Ms. Mahajan had earned the sobriquet of being a “power couple” during Capt. Singh’s tenure as CM.

The ACC order said that Mr. Gupta will hold the post till March 31, 2024, the date of his superannuation or till further orders, whichever takes place earlier.

In another order, the Intelligence Bureau’s (IB) Special Director Swagat Das has been appointed as Special Secretary, Internal Security, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Mr. Das, a 1987 batch IPS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre will hold the post till November 30, 2024, the order said.

Mr. Das was the senior-most officer in the internal intelligence agency after Director, Intelligence Bureau, Arvinda Kumar. Mr. Kumar’s extended tenure is set to end on June 30. If he is not given a further extension, and with Mr. Das’ exit from IB, there are two probable candidates for the topmost job of Director, IB — 1987 batch IPS officer A.S Rajan and 1988 batch IPS officer Tapan Deka.