Nitin Wakankar appointed new spokesperson of CBI

NEW DELHI: Senior Indian Information Service officer Nitin Wakankar will be the new Chief Information Officer and spokesperson of the CBI, replacing Abhishek Dayal who has been transferred to the Publications Division, officials said on Friday.

The change in the agency comes close on the heels of removal of Alok Verma as the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation by a high powered selection committee, they said.

ADG (M and C) in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry Wakankar has served in Rashtrapati Bhavan, defence ministry, headed Mumbai region in various capacities during his career.

Dayal, also an IIS officer, who waded the information wing of the CBI through the most severe crisis of the agency during the last four months to the Publications Division, they said.

He was transferred to the CBI for a period of three years in 2017.

He had earlier served in the Prime Minister's Office, Home Ministry, as AIR correspondent in Colombo before being deputed to the CBI.

During his tenure, he tried hard in maintaining careful balance in dissemination of information for the organisation as the then CBI director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana fought bitter battle with each other and leaks from each camp becoming a regular feature in the media.

The interim CBI Director Nageshwar Rao has also ordered transfer of about four officials at the Joint Director level.

Joint Director Lucknow G K Goswami has been given charge of Anti Corruption-I, while Joint Director Banking Securities and Frauds cell (BSF and C) Sharad Agarwal has been sent to Lucknow. Agarwal will continue to monitor SIT (Manipur fake encounter cases), they said.

Joint Director Chennai, Praveen Sinha has been brought to Delhi with additional charge of the Border Security Force and C unit, they said.

Joint Director Mumbai Amrit Mohan Prasad has been given additional charge of Joint Director Chennai, they said.