Rina Mitra: IPS Officer Who Could Have Been 1st Woman CBI Director

Rina Mitra, who was in the running to be CBI director, had served in the agency as a superintendent for five years.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Had she been chosen by the selection committee as the next Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director – 1983-batch IPS officer Rina Mitra – would have been the first woman to the appointed as head of the agency.

However, Mitra, despite meeting all criteria for the post, was bumped out of consideration after the selection committee decided to defer its meeting to the day just after her retirement.

Writing for The Telegraph, Mitra said, “I did qualify on all parameters to be considered for selection to head the premier investigating body of the country, the CBI... I was indeed the senior-most officer fulfilling all the four essential criteria. However, an easily avoidable delay of just one day in the selection process ensured that I was bumped out of the race and no longer in contention.”

“It forced me to wonder if this was indeed the last glass ceiling I encountered in my professional career,” she added.

The high-level selection committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, went with Madhya Pradesh’s Former Director General of Police IPS Rishi Kumar Shukla instead, who took charge as the new director on Monday, 4 February.

Notably, Mitra had served the CBI as a superintendent for five years. In 2017, she was appointed the special secretary (internal security) in the Ministry of Home Affairs by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

Mitra’s Illustrious Career

In a career spanning over 34 years, Mitra, an officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has served the state in various capacities – as the district superintendent of police of three districts, DIG, IG CID and inspector general, among others.

She had a long tenure in Madhya Pradesh’s vigilance department, where she handled corruption cases, reported PTI.

Mitra has also worked in the Railway Board, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (WCCB). She was appointed the director of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Science (NICFS) in 2014. 

A post-graduate in literature from the University of Calcutta, Mitra also holds an MPhil degree from the University of Madras. She is an alumnus of the National Defence College.

In 1999, Mitra was awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2008.

Others That Were Considered for the Top Post

Apart from Mitra and Shukla – who was ultimately chosen for the job – Director General of Border Security Force RK Mishra, Director General of National Investigation Agency YC Modi and Director General of Central Industrial Security Force Rajesh Ranjan were considered to be in the running for the agency’s top post, sources had told The Quint.

The need for a replacement came after Alok Verma was removed as the CBI chief following a 2-1 decision by the high-level panel earlier in January. The decision was taken on the basis of a CVC report that cited alleged corruption and other charges.

(With inputs from PTI, IANS)