New Delhi: Praveen Sinha, special director at India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was elected ‘Delegate for Asia’ on the executive committee of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) Thursday.
The 13-member executive committee of the Interpol supervises the general secretariat’s work, in line with the decisions of the general assembly, which is the supreme governing body of Interpol, comprising representatives from each of the member countries. The executive committee meets three times a year and sets organisational policy and direction.
Sinha, a 1988-batch Gujarat-cadre IPS officer, was appointed as the special director of the CBI in June this year. It was under his guidance that the CBI updated its crime manual for the first time in the past 15 years.
According to official sources, Sinha was elected to the Interpol’s executive committee following a “tough election”, defeating other contestants from China, Singapore, Korea and Jordan.
The elections were held in Istanbul, Turkey, during the ongoing 89th Interpol general assembly, which meets once a year.
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How Sinha was elected
According to a government official, Sinha’s election is the “result of an intense and well-coordinated election campaign across the world”, even as “crucial support of friendly countries was sought at bilateral engagements at different levels.”
Sources also said Indian embassies and high commissions regularly followed up the matter of Sinha’s election with the host governments, while ambassadors and high commissioners of these countries resident in Delhi were similarly approached.
Simultaneously, India’s National Central Bureau (NCB-India) approached to its counterparts around the world to campaign for this election.
“The Indian ambassador in Turkey camped in Istanbul for the last few days and held on-the-ground bilateral meetings with delegations for the final efforts to gain support,” said the official quoted above.
“Interpol is a vital body for tackling the rising spectre of trans-national organised crimes, terrorism and cyber-crimes. India will continue to actively contribute to Interpol’s aims and objectives and to enhance its effectiveness through our professional competence and experience,” the official added.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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