New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is set to get two IPS officers from Kerala and Karnataka cadres on five-year central deputation, with Kiran Narayanan appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) and R Chethan as Deputy Inspector General (DIG).
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued separate appointment orders on September 15, 2026, approving their induction into the CBI.
Both appointments will be for five years from the date each officer assumes charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Kiran Narayanan Appointed CBI Superintendent of Police
Ms Narayanan (IPS:2014), a 2014-batch Kerala cadre IPS officer, has been appointed as SP in the CBI.
Before moving to the central agency, she was serving as Superintendent of Police (Internal Security) in the State Special Branch at Thiruvananthapuram.
Her CBI tenure will run for five years from the date of assumption of charge, subject to further orders.
Narayanan is a direct-recruit IPS officer who entered the service through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Kiran Narayanan’s Career in Kerala
Born on November 24, 1983, in Kerala, Narayanan holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM). She joined the IPS on December 22, 2014.
During her career in the Kerala Police, she has handled several policing and security assignments.
One of her notable postings was as City Police Commissioner of Kollam, where she was associated with the “Mukthyodayam” anti-drug campaign.
She also handled responsibilities relating to internal security before her latest assignment with the CBI.
Her September 2026 appointment marks her transition from state policing to a central investigative role.
R Chethan Appointed CBI DIG
R Chethan (IPS:2010), a 2010-batch Karnataka cadre IPS officer, has been appointed as DIG in the CBI.
He was serving as Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), Western Range, Mangaluru, before his induction into the central agency.
Like Narayanan, Chethan has been appointed for five years from the date of assumption of charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
He is a direct-recruit IPS officer who joined the service through the UPSC.
R Chethan’s Policing Career in Karnataka
Chethan is a Karnataka native and holds an engineering degree (B.E.) and an MBA. He joined the IPS on August 30, 2010.
Over his career in the Karnataka Police, he served as District Superintendent of Police in Chikmagalur, Ballari, Davangere and Mysuru.
He also led the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) and served with the Coastal Security Police.
Later, he served as SP, Intelligence, in Bengaluru and was promoted to the rank of DIGP.
Chethan subsequently served as Police Commissioner of Kalaburagi City.
In July 2024, he was appointed Commissioner for Youth Empowerment & Sports. In August 2026, he took charge as DIGP of the Western Range, Mangaluru.
His latest appointment takes him to the CBI on central deputation.
Two State Police Officers Move to Central Agency
The appointments bring officers with extensive state-level policing experience into the CBI.
Narayanan moves from an internal-security role in the Kerala Police to the agency as SP, while Chethan moves from the Western Range in Karnataka to the CBI at DIG level.
Their five-year deputations will begin from the respective dates on which they assume charge, unless their tenure is curtailed or otherwise modified through further orders.
The appointments are part of the Centre’s ongoing process of inducting serving IPS officers into central police and investigative organisations.
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