The Enforcement Directorate has got a full-time Directo almost a year after Sanjay Kumar Mishra’s tenure ended following an extension. Interim incharge of the ED, Rahul Navin has been now appointed full-time Director of the central probe agency. An order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) said the appointment of Navin has been made “for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier”.

Who Is Rahul Navin?

Rahul Navin is a 1993-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Income Tax cadre.  Navin, a 1993 batch Indian Revenue Service officer, is currently serving as Special Director at the Enforcement Directorate (ED). On Wednesday, Navin, who has been the Acting Chief of the ED, was appointed as the full-time Director of the federal anti-money laundering agency.

At 57, Navin has been with the ED since November 2019, initially joining as a Special Director. He took on the role of Acting Director following the conclusion of his predecessor Sanjay Kumar Mishra’s tenure on September 15 of last year.

An expert in international taxation matters, Navin’s tenure as the ED head saw the high-profile arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren in separate money laundering cases.

The ED investigates financial crimes under two criminal laws — the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA) — apart from the civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).