The MHA has assigned the additional charge of NIA Director General to senior IPS officer Rakesh Aggarwal. This follows the premature repatriation of incumbent DG Sadanand Vasant Date to his parent cadre. Aggarwal will hold the charge until then.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has assigned the additional charge of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director General to senior IPS officer Rakesh Aggarwal following the premature repatriation of the incumbent DG, Sadanand Vasant Date, to his parent cadre.
Aggarwal, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, is currently serving as Special Director General of the NIA. He was appointed as the Special Director General of the NIA on September 29, 2025, on an in-situ basis by temporarily upgrading his existing ADG post, for a two-year tenure or until further orders.
As per an Office Memorandum (OM) issued by the MHA on Monday, Aggarwal will now hold the additional charge of NIA chief till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Leadership Change at NIA
The MHA's decision came after the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the premature repatriation of Date, a 1990-batch Maharashtra cadre IPS officer, to his parent cadre with immediate effect. Date had been serving as the head of the country's premier counter-terrorism investigation agency and was overseeing several sensitive probes linked to terrorism, organised crime, and national security.
"Assignment of additional charge of the post of DG, NIA to Rakesh Aggarwal, IPS(HP:1994), SDG, NIA, upon premature repatriation of Shri Sadanand Vasant Date, IPS(MH:1990) till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier," reads the OM.
Profile of the Interim Chief
Aggarwal's appointment as interim DG is seen as an administrative measure to maintain stability at the agency's helm while the Centre initiates the process to appoint a full-time Director General.
Aggarwal is regarded as a seasoned counter-terrorism and internal security professional with extensive experience in handling complex investigations. During his tenure at the NIA, he has been associated with several high-profile cases involving terror financing, radicalisation networks, and cross-border linkages.
His elevation ensures continuity in leadership at a time when the agency is dealing with an expanding mandate and increasingly sophisticated security challenges.
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