ED director Rahul Navin gets 1-year extension

NEW DELHI: Rahul Navin gets one year extension as ED director. His 2-yr fixed tenure was coming to an end this month, now extended till 13 Aug 2027.According to a notification issued by the DoPT on Saturday, “Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in tenure of Rahul Navin, IRS, as Director of Enforcement in the Directorate of Enforcement for a period of one year beyond 13.08.2026 i.e. up to 13.08.2027, including extension in service beyond the date of his superannuation i.e. 31.07.2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”After three years as director ED, Navin, a 1993 batch officer of the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), stands a chance of getting two more extensions and serve till Aug 2029, all through the present tenure of the Modi govt with next general elections due in April-May 2029.As per service age Navin’s retirement is due on 31 July 2027, but tenure of ED director can continue beyond that as in the case of his predecessor Sanjay Mishra.Rahul Navin hails from Bihar and had an outstanding academic distinction with a degree in BTech and MTech from IIT Kanpurand an MBA from Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne.On 15th September 2023, he assumed charge as Director (In-Charge) and was appointed as Director of ED on 14th August 2024.He has also written a book on "Information Exchange and Tax Transparency: Tackling Global Tax Evasion and Avoidance" while being in the tax policy division of the finance ministry.As ED director, Navin has laid down a new roadmap for his officers of completing all investigations within two years and ensuring attached properties are auctioned and restituted to the rightful claimant and victims of frauds — whether it be banks or individuals — within a specific timeframe. He has set a target for all the zonal offices for filing of chargesheets, minimizing avoidable delays.The ED has so far restored assets valued over Rs 35,000 crore to victims of fraud using the provision under sections 8(7) and 8(8) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which allow for “the restoration of assets to rightful owners when it is determined that the properties were initially acquired through illicit means but legally belong to innocent parties”.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.