New Delhi. Tapan Kumar Deka, an IPS officer of the 1988 batch who was part of the probe into the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, will be the new chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the country’s premier domestic spy agency, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) said on June 24.
Deka, currently Special Director in the IB, will succeed Arvinda Kumar, whose tenure ends on June 30, and will serve for two years from the date he assumes office or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
The IB is tasked with gathering intelligence on terrorism, threat assessment pertaining to government policies, counter-intelligence and assisting other agencies and police forces to maintain peace.
An expert on the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, Deka oversaw the crackdown on Pakistan-backed Indian Mujahideen outfit between 2008 and 2015. He was also at the forefront of the investigation and intelligence gathering after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and has substantial experience in dealing with issues in the northeast and Pakistan-backed terror activities in Kashmir.
He has closely worked on the Al Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror groups and their activities in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, and their impact on India.
Deka belongs to Himachal Pradesh cadre and will be the 28th Director of Intelligence Bureau (DIB).
