Praveen Sood, the current Director General of Police (DGP) for Karnataka, has been appointed as the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for a duration of two years on Sunday, May 14. Sood will assume his role after the conclusion of the current director Subodh Jaiswal's tenure on May 25. Serving as the DGP, Sood had encountered criticism from DK Shivakumar, the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), for being biased against Congress. This appointment came immediately after the victory of the Congress party in Karnataka in the Assembly elections.
In March, Shivakumar contended that the state police had been targeting Congress workers while failing to take action against members of the BJP. Referring to Sood as "nalayak" (incompetent), the Congress leader stated that his party would take measures against the DGP if they were voted into power. This criticism emerged after the registration of several cases against Congress workers by the Karnataka police. A number of these cases were filed following the Congress party's anti-corruption campaign, titled 'PayCM', aimed at the now-caretaker CM Basavaraj Bommai.
“At least 25 cases have been registered against us, but why have no cases been registered against BJP workers? This DGP is a ‘nalayak’. Let our government come. We will take action against him. The Congress had also written to the Election Commission to remove him. I thought he (Sood) was a respected man. A case should be registered against him immediately, and he should be arrested,” Shivakumar had said.
The Congress won a thumping majority in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections by managing to secure 135 seats out of 224 seats on Saturday, May 13. The Bharatiya Janata Party only won 66 seats, while the JD(S) won 19 seats. DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah are both aspirants for the Chief Minister’s post.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating a case of disproportionate assets involving Shivakumar. In December 2022, the CBI searched properties owned by the Congress leader and at educational institutions operated by his family. Recently, the Karnataka High Court dismissed the appeal by Shivakumar against the CBI investigation. Another appeal filed by Shivakumar, challenging the First Information Report filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, is scheduled to be heard on May 30.
Sood's name was confirmed by a panel consisting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, and Leader of the Opposition Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.