Counter-terrorism expert Rakesh Aggarwal appointed NIA chief

New Delhi: Counter-terrorism expert Rakesh Aggarwal was on Wednesday appointed as the new director general of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the country's anti-terror agency.

Aggarwal, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Himachal Pradesh cadre, is currently working as special director general in the anti-terror agency. He was also holding the additional charge of the post of DG, NIA, after the premature repatriation of Sadanand Vasant Date to Maharashtra last month.

Date took over as the chief of Maharashtra Police on January 3. Following his repatriation, Aggarwal was named interim NIA chief.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Aggarwal's appointment as DG, NIA for a tenure up to August 31, 2028, the date of his superannuation, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.

Aggarwal is considered an expert in counter-terrorism, terror financing and radicalisation matters. He is regarded as an ace investigator, adept at handling probes in complex internal security cases.

Aggarwal has also extensively worked with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and held key posts under the central and Himachal Pradesh governments.