NIA’s probe officer in Pathankot case sent back to parent cadre

Mitesh Jain, the CIO of the Pathankot case, has been repatriated back to parent West Bengal cadre.

As the National Investigation Agency (NIA) prepares to file its first chargesheet in the Pathankot air base attack case, the chief investigation officer (CIO) of the case has been repatriated back to his parent cadre, forcing the agency to appoint new officer as the CIO at this crucial juncture.

An Indian soldier stands guard inside an airbase in Pathankot. (HT File Photo)

An NIA spokesperson confirmed the development saying, “Yes, Mitesh Jain, the CIO of the Pathankot case, has been repatriated back to parent West Bengal cadre. We have appointed a new CIO.”

Before Jain, the NIA had also lost Sanjeev Kumar Singh, the supervising Inspector General (IG) of the Pathankot case, as the Centre refused to extend his deputation tenure beyond permissible limit of seven years.

Officers from the Indian Police Service (IPS) serve in the NIA, which is a central government agency, on deputation at senior ranks. IPS officers can have a maximum deputation tenure of seven years at any central police organisation like the NIA or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Mitesh Jain, serving as a superintendent of police (SP), was given formal ‘no objection’ to serve in the agency for only one year by his parent cadre.

“Obviously, the new CIO will take some time to settle down as he will be new to the case,” said an NIA officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Earlier, the supervising IG of the case, Sanjeev Kumar Singh, had to go back to his parent Madhya Pradesh cadre in curious circumstances.

Singh had completed the maximum deputation tenure of seven years but he was given an extension in tenure for another year, which was beyond permissible limit. But a few days later, the Centre reversed the order and directed the NIA to send back Singh to his parent cadre. No reason was given for the reversal.