IB chief Tapan Deka, HP-cadre officer, gets 1-yr extension

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In an order issued on Tuesday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet said it had approved an extension to Deka for one year, till June 2026, or until further orders.

His extension stands in stark contrast to the government's acceptance of "lapses" in intelligence at an all-party meeting held just two days after the April 22 terror attack, where officials had said they had not expected terrorists to strike Pahalgam since there was no precedent.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had told reporters after the meeting on April 24 that intelligence officials had briefed the parties about why and how lapses occurred.

Deka is a 1988-batch IPS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre and has expertise in handling cases related to terrorism and radicalisation. He is also an expert in handling anti-terror cases with origin in Pakistan, which is especially important in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and India's response in the form of Operation Sindoor.

The officer was appointed as the head of the Intelligence Bureau in June 2022 for two years and was granted an extension for a year in June 2024.

The extension, Tuesday's order said, is "in relaxation of the provisions of FR 56 (d) and Rule 16 (1A) of All India Services (Death-cum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958".

The rules allow the Centre to extend the services of the chiefs of the IB and Research and Analysis Wing, the Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary and others beyond the superannuation age of 60 in "public interest".

Deka was the head of the operations wing of the IB for over two decades before being appointed the chief of the agency.

He was in-charge of the counter-operation during the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 and also led the operations against the Indian Mujahideen, which was responsible for several terror attacks in the country in the 2000s.