Tapan Kumar Deka.
Credit: X/@MudasirTantary
New Delhi: Tapan Kumar Deka, known as the 'superspy' with commendable expertise in handling terrorism and radicalisation related cases, was on Monday given a one-year extension till June 2025 as the chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
Deka is a 1988-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Deka's extension as the Director, Intelligence Bureau, for a period of one year beyond June 30, 2024, an order issued by the Personnel Ministry said.
His extension is "in relaxation of the provisions of FR 56 (d) and Rule 16 (1A) of All India Services (Death cum Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958", it said.
The rules allow the central government to extend in "public interest" the services of the chiefs of IB and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary and others, beyond 60 years age of superannuation.
Deka, known as the crisis manager in the power corridors and intelligence fraternity, was in June 2022 appointed as the IB chief for two years. His term was to end this month.
He is considered an expert in 'operations' especially in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the Northeast region of the country.
Deka served as the head of the operations wing of the IB for over two decades before finally taking the reins of the agency. He was also in charge of the counter-assaults during the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008.
Adept in handling terrorism and Islamic radicalisation related cases, Deka had also led the operations against the terror group Indian Mujahideen, which was behind a series of subversive activities across the country in the 2000s.
He was also deputed in his home state Assam to handle the volatile situation that arose following the large-scale violence after the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act in 2019.
Deka has been the go-to man for the government on the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir as he has vast experience in handling Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the Union Territory.