With the extended tenure of current Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Deka, a 1988-batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IPS officer, set to end on June 30, speculation over his successor has intensified in bureaucratic and security circles.
Deka, who has been heading the Intelligence Bureau since 2022, had initially been appointed for a fixed two-year tenure. He later received two successive one-year extensions, with the current extension ending on June 30, 2026.
Sources said discussions around potential successors have gathered momentum, indicating that another extension for Deka now appears unlikely unless the government decides otherwise.
Among the names being discussed prominently is Rithwik Rudra, a 1993-batch Himachal Pradesh cadre IPS officer currently serving as Special Director in the IB. Rudra has earlier served as Additional Director and Joint Director in the agency and is regarded as an experienced intelligence officer within security circles.
Another senior officer being seen as a contender is Sunita Khakhar, a 1996-batch Odisha cadre IPS officer who is also serving as Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau.
The final decision on the next IB chief is expected closer to the end of Deka’s tenure later next month.
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