Interpol elects India's Praveen Sinha in its top panel

NEW DELHI: The Interpol on Thursday elected India's Praveen Sinha as a delegate from Asia in its executive committee, official sources said.
Praveen Sinha, Special Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was elected after a tough election against four other contestants from China, Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Jordan vying for two posts.
The elections were held in Turkey's Istanbul during the ongoing 89th Interpol General Assembly.
Interpol is a vital body for tackling the rising spectre of transnational organized crimes, terrorism and cyber-crimes.
The sources said crucial support of friendly countries was sought at bilateral engagements at different levels and Indian embassies and high commissions regularly followed it up with their host governments. Ambassadors and high commissioners in Delhi were similarly reached out, they said.
Meanwhile, Interpol elected a contentious official from the United Arab Emirates as its new president.
Major General Ahmed Naser al-Raisi, inspector general at the United Arab Emirates' interior ministry and a member of Interpol's executive committee, was elected for one four-year term, the global policing body announced.
He has been accused by human rights groups of involvement in torture and arbitrary detentions in the UAE.
Interpol said al-Raisi was elected following three rounds of voting and received 68.9% of the votes cast in the final round.
(With agency inputs)