New Delhi: Samant Goel, a 1984-batch IPS officer from the Punjab cadre, was on Tuesday appointed the next chief of India’s external spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) while 1984 batch Assam cadre IPS officer Arvind Kumar was appointed Director, Intelligence Bureau.
Goel reportedly played a key role in planning the February 2019 Balakot air strikes and the 2016 surgical strikes. He is considered close to former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana. His name had surfaced in the bribery case against Asthana.
Arvind Kumar, on the other hand, has been closely involved in in tackling left-wing extremism at the Intelligence Bureau. Arvind Kumar is said to be an expert on Kashmir with specialisation in counter-terrorism.
The appointments to the top posts for a fixed tenure of 2 years in the external and domestic intelligence agencies were made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet which is headed by PM Narendra Modi.
Kumar will take the reins of the internal intelligence agency from Rajiv Jain, while Goel will succeed Anil K Dhasmana at the chief of India's external spy agency.
Both RAW and the CBI directly report to the Prime Minister’s Office.