📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Government of Saratoga, CA
Crime
Rishi Kumar Shukla assumes charge as CBI chief amid Kolkata police turf dispute
✍️ The Economic Times
🗓 21 Oct 2026, 11:31 AM
👁 46
Rishi Kumar Shukla has taken over as Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, a move that comes as tensions rise with the Kolkata police over jurisdictional issues.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced that senior officer Rishi Kumar Shukla has formally assumed the role of Director, succeeding his predecessor amid a high‑profile leadership change. Shukla, a career bureaucrat with extensive experience in anti‑corruption investigations, took oath in New Delhi and will now steer the agency’s nationwide probes.
Soon after his appointment, reports surfaced of a growing turf war between the CBI and the Kolkata Police. The West Bengal capital’s police force has raised concerns over overlapping investigations, particularly in cases involving state‑level corruption and organized crime. Sources said the friction stems from recent CBI raids in Kolkata that the local police view as encroaching on their jurisdiction.
Both agencies have refrained from public comment, but officials indicated that a coordination mechanism is being explored to avoid duplication of effort. Analysts note that the dispute could test Shukla’s ability to balance central authority with state‑level law‑enforcement sensitivities, a challenge that will shape the CBI’s operational autonomy in the coming months.
The appointment comes at a time when the CBI is under scrutiny for its role in high‑profile investigations across the country. Shukla’s tenure is expected to focus on strengthening investigative rigor while navigating inter‑agency dynamics, especially with powerful state police forces such as those in Kolkata.
Soon after his appointment, reports surfaced of a growing turf war between the CBI and the Kolkata Police. The West Bengal capital’s police force has raised concerns over overlapping investigations, particularly in cases involving state‑level corruption and organized crime. Sources said the friction stems from recent CBI raids in Kolkata that the local police view as encroaching on their jurisdiction.
Both agencies have refrained from public comment, but officials indicated that a coordination mechanism is being explored to avoid duplication of effort. Analysts note that the dispute could test Shukla’s ability to balance central authority with state‑level law‑enforcement sensitivities, a challenge that will shape the CBI’s operational autonomy in the coming months.
The appointment comes at a time when the CBI is under scrutiny for its role in high‑profile investigations across the country. Shukla’s tenure is expected to focus on strengthening investigative rigor while navigating inter‑agency dynamics, especially with powerful state police forces such as those in Kolkata.