The central government has appointed former CBI director R.K. Raghavan as Indian High Commissioner to Cyprus.
He was in the spotlight as the head of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed the Gujarat riots, besides being the investigating officer of the high profile cases like Priyadarshini Mattoo murder case and South Africa cricket match fixing case.
Raghavan’s is a political appointment by the NDA government. It is normal for non-IFS officers to be appointed as tops envoys but what is unusual is the appointment of a man trained as a sleuth in a job that needs diplomacy.
As director-general of Tamil Nadu’s State Vigilance Directorate, he oversaw probe into corruption cases against AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa.
A recipient of Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, he has also worked with the Intelligence Bureau and set up India’s first cyber crime investigation cell.
