New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of two senior Indian Police Service officers, AYV Krishna and N. Venugopal, as Special Directors in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The decision, approved on October 1, 2026, elevates the two 1995-batch IPS officers from the rank of Additional Director to Special Director in the country’s premier central investigating agency.
According to an order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), both officers will assume the Special Director rank from the date they take charge of their respective posts.
The order also provides for the temporary upgradation of their existing posts from Additional Director, carrying Level 15 of the Pay Matrix, to Special Director, carrying Level 16. The upgradation has been made as a measure personal to each officer.
AYV Krishna to Continue as Special Director Till May 2030
AYV Krishna, a 1995-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is currently serving as Additional Director in the CBI.
Following the ACC approval, he will hold the Special Director post from the date of assumption of charge until his superannuation on May 31, 2030, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Krishna has had a career spanning more than three decades across state policing, the CBI and central armed police forces. An engineer by training, he holds a B.Tech degree and has handled several important investigative and policing responsibilities during his career.
Before his current assignment in the CBI, Krishna served as Additional Director General of Police in Assam, including in the Crime Investigation Department (CID).
His experience with the CBI has also included a stint as Joint Director, where he supervised the agency’s Southern Zone from Hyderabad. He subsequently served as an Inspector General in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), adding central police leadership experience to his investigative background.
Decorated Career in Police Service
Krishna has been recognised for his service with two significant police decorations.
He was awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2011. Six years later, in 2017, he received the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
His latest elevation places him among the senior-most leadership ranks of the CBI and extends his tenure in the agency until his scheduled superannuation in 2030, subject to the terms of the ACC order.
N. Venugopal Gets Special Director Rank
N. Venugopal, also referred to as N. Venu Gopal, is another 1995-batch IPS officer who has been serving as an Additional Director in the CBI.
He belongs to the Himachal Pradesh cadre and holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) degree in Geology.
Under the latest ACC approval, Venugopal will be appointed as Special Director from the date he assumes charge. His tenure in the upgraded position will continue until his superannuation on December 31, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The order therefore gives him the Special Director rank for the remaining period of his service, subject to the applicable provisions.
From Himachal Pradesh Police to CBI Leadership
Venugopal built his early career in the Himachal Pradesh Police, where he served in a range of assignments involving law and order, institutional policing and criminal investigation.
His state-level career eventually took him to the senior leadership of the Himachal Pradesh Police, including service as Additional Director General of Police for Armed Police and Training.
He subsequently moved on central deputation to the CBI. He joined the agency in 2022 as a Joint Director and was later elevated to Additional Director in May 2024.
His latest appointment to the Special Director grade marks another elevation in his career at the central investigating agency.
Venugopal Also Received Two Police Medals
Like Krishna, Venugopal has received both the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
He was awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2011. In 2021, he received the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
His career has therefore combined long experience in state policing with senior investigative responsibilities at the CBI.
Posts Upgraded From Level 15 to Level 16
The ACC-approved arrangement involves temporary upgradation of the two officers’ existing posts.
Both AYV Krishna and N. Venugopal were serving as Additional Directors in the CBI, a post carrying Level 15 of the Pay Matrix. Their posts have now been temporarily upgraded to Special Director, which carries Level 16.
The order specifies that the upgradation is personal to each officer. Their appointment as Special Directors will take effect from the date they assume charge.
The tenure periods are also clearly defined:
- AYV Krishna — until May 31, 2030, his date of superannuation, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
- N. Venugopal — until December 31, 2027, his date of superannuation, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Two Senior Officers Elevated in CBI
The latest decision brings two experienced 1995-batch IPS officers into the Special Director rank in the CBI.
Both officers have served in senior positions within their respective state police cadres before taking up central assignments. Krishna brings experience across the Assam Police, CBI and CRPF, while Venugopal has combined a long Himachal Pradesh Police career with senior investigative responsibilities in the CBI.
Their elevation to Special Director comes through the temporary upgradation of their existing Additional Director posts and will remain effective for the respective periods specified in the ACC order.
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