New Delhi: The government decided Wednesday to appoint two new chiefs for two intelligence agencies. Samant Goel will replace Anil Dhamsena as the head of the country’s external intelligence agency – the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) while Arvind Kumar will be the new Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief. He was No.2 at the Kashmir desk of the IB and will replace Rajiv Jain at the top post.
“The Home Minister has signed the file and it has gone to PMO,” a senior officer in the PMO said while confirming the news of the new appointments. Sources close to the PMO also informed that the two – both IPS officers of the 1984 batch – will take charge June 20.
Goel has helped handle the Punjab militancy when it was at its peak in the 1990s was also posted in Dubai and London as in-charge consular activities.
Kumar, an officer from the Assam Meghalaya cadre, headed the agency in Bihar. Before that, he looked after its administration and inquiry branches for long.
Both the officials are expected to play a key role and their appointment doesn’t come as a surprise keeping in mind their close proximity to Amit Shah.
Agencies