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Madhya Pradesh’s Former Director General of Police IPS Rishi Kumar Shukla took charge as the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday, 4 February. He was appointed on Saturday.
Notably, like his predecessor Alok Verma, Shukla never served in the CBI before being appointed to head the agency.
A 1983-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Shukla took over as the 28th Director General of Madhya Pradesh Police in July 2016 but went on a leave in 2017 due to medical conditions. He was appointed as the chairman of MP Police housing board before taking over as the DGP and took this role up again after returning from his medical leave in 2018. It is believed that Shukla was shunted out as the top cop of MP Police after the new Kamal Nath-led Congress government took over in December 2018.
Shukla was deputed to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) between 2000 and 2005. Incidentally, the last year of his tenure in the agency coincided with that of the then Director of IB, Ajit Doval.
Shukla was also posted as the Additional DG Intelligence in MP Police from the year 2009 to 2012 and served as DG Home Guard 2013-15.
The officer hailing from Gwalior was first posted as Chief Superintendent of Police at Raipur and was later posted as Superintendent of Police at Damoh, Shivpuri and Mandsaur.
After his primary education, Shukla moved to Kolkata and completed his further studies there. He did his graduation in BCom.
A Post Graduate in Philosophy, he has been decorated with the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2007 and Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1999.
He has attended various important training programmes organised by prestigious institutions in the country and abroad including the USA and the UK.
Shukla was Madhya Pradesh’s top cop during the infamous Bhopal jailbreak encounter where eight members of Students of Islamic Movement of India were shot and killed.
IPS Rishi Kumar Shukla
(Photo: The Quint)
As opposed to then Home Minister Bhupendra Singh’s view on the investigation, Shukla was of an opinion that the CID should investigate the encounters.
“It is mandated by the law that the state’s CID will investigate the encounters for a free and fair probe,” Shukla had told PTI in 2016.
In an interview to Doordarshan News in December 2018, Shukla said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s timely interjections and suggestions on the internal security of the country have been valid.
Kharge Sends Dissent Note Against Shukla’s Appointment
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge sent a dissent note on the appointment of Shukla as the new CBI director.
In his dissent note, he said, “by including officers who don't have experience in probing anti-corruption cases, committee is violating DSPE Act and SC judgments.”
Shivraj Singh Chouhan Congratulates Shukla
Former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan congratulated Shukla on his appointment.
Chouhan, in his tweet, said “As DGP in Madhya Pradesh, IPS Shri Rishi Kumar Shukla, who discharged his duty with full sincerity and integrity, is exemplary. Today, you have been given the responsibility of an important post like the CBI Chief. I am confident that you will be able to fulfill the country’s hopes. Good luck!”
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