New Delhi, February 4: A day after Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Rishi Kumar Shukla retired, the agency's Additional Director Praveen Sinha, a 1988 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, on Thursday took over the charge as the interim chief. A CBI statement said that Sinha has started looking after the duties of Director, CBI in pursuance to the Department of Personnel and Training order issued on Wednesday.

The CBI said that Sinha has earlier served in the agency as Superintendent of Police, DIG, Joint Director and Additional Director over two stints between 2000-2021. It said that he also served as Additional Secretary, CVC during 2015-2018. The CBI said that Sinha has served at various places in Gujarat in various capacities from ASP to Additional Director General. He has also worked as Deputy Director, ACB, Ahmedabad in 1996. IIS Officer Ramesh Chandra Joshi Takes Charge as CBI's Chief Information Officer.

"Sinha has been associated with the investigation of various Supreme Court or High Courts entrusted or monitored scams, major bank frauds and financial crimes, serial bomb blasts etc. He was instrumental in unearthing major examination paper leakages including those of CAT and AIPMT," it said.

"He has the unique distinction of having drafted the Manual of both the apex integrity institutions - the Vigilance Manual 2017 of Central Vigilance Commission and the CBI (Crime) Manual, 2020," the agency said. It further said that Sinha has been involved in several innovative and reform initiatives and he is a Member of several Reform Committees constituted by the CVC as well as a member of the Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws constituted by the Union Home Ministry. Sinha was awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service on Republic Day 2013 and Police Medal for Meritorious Service on Republic Day 2004.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 04, 2021 09:18 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).