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Praveen Sood (CBI Director) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth22 May 1964

Age61 Years

BirthplaceKangra, Himachal Pradesh, India

ProfessionCivil Servant

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseVinita Sood

FamilyTwo daughters: Aashita Sood and Anoushka Sood

Praveen Sood (CBI Director) Biography

Praveen Sood is a senior Indian Police Service officer of the 1986 batch who has led Karnataka Police as its DGP and served as Director of the Central Bure

Early life and background

Praveen Sood was born on 22 May 1964 in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, into a lower-middle-class family. He completed his schooling at a municipal school in Delhi on a scholarship. He holds a B.Tech in civil engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and completed postgraduate studies in public policy and management at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Career

Sood cleared the Civil Services Examination in 1986 and joined the Indian Police Service the same year. After completing his training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad in 1989, his early field postings included Assistant Superintendent of Police in Mysuru and Superintendent of Police postings in Bellary and Raichur.

Over the years he moved through a wide range of operational and administrative roles in the Karnataka cadre. He served as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) in Bengaluru City, Commissioner of Police in Mysuru, and Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) in Bengaluru. He also held senior leadership positions including Additional Director General of Police for the Computer Wing, Additional Director General roles for State Reserve Police and Administration, Principal Secretary in the Karnataka Home Ministry, and Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP) for Karnataka from January 2020 to May 2023.

Sood spent three years abroad as a police advisor to the government of Mauritius between 1999 and 2002, during which he worked with police counterparts from the United States and the European Union. In technology and systems work he helped establish the Crime & Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) in Karnataka and supported the introduction of an SMS gateway and other e-governance measures under the Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Act (2011).

As a city police leader he was involved in several traffic and public-safety initiatives. In Mysuru he introduced planning measures aimed at improving traffic management and was involved in anti-terror operations. In Bengaluru he contributed to the creation of the Traffic Management Centre and, later, when he served as Commissioner of Police for the city, he supported emergency-response and safety programs designed to improve protection for women, including an emergency response system and a women-focused safety app.

Sood also led organisational and financial reforms in police-related entities. As managing director of the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation he oversaw policies that increased the organisation’s revenue. While heading CID, Economic Offences & Special Units, he played a central role in forming the Centre for Cyber-crime Investigation, Training & Research.

On 14 May 2023 the Government of India announced his appointment as Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation. He assumed that role on 25 May 2023 and was named to serve as CBI Director through 25 May 2025.

Public profile

Throughout his career Sood has received several awards recognising his service, including the Chief Minister’s Gold Medal for excellence (1996), the Police Medal for Meritorious Service (2002), the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award (2006), the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (2011), and a National E-Governance Gold Award in 2011 for innovative use of technology in traffic management.

His appointment as CBI Director drew public attention and prompted strong reactions from political figures in Karnataka. He has been invited to speak about policing and public service on stages including TEDx. Outside work he enjoys travelling and playing golf.

Personal life

Praveen Sood is married to entrepreneur Vinita Sood. The couple have two daughters: Aashita Sood, who is a lawyer and is married to Mayank Agarwal, and Anoushka Sood. His father, Om Prakash Sood, worked as a clerk for the Delhi government and is deceased; his mother Kamlesh Sood was a teacher.

Latest updates

Sood served as Director General and Inspector General of Police for Karnataka until May 2023 and began his tenure as Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation on 25 May 2023. As of 2025 he is 61 years old.
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Recent Work

Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

Appointed as the head of India's premier investigating agency; tenure began on 25 May 2023 and is set through 25 May 2025.

2023
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Career Highlights

  1. 1986 batch Indian Police Service officer, Karnataka cadre
  2. Director General and Inspector General of Police, Karnataka (Jan 2020 – May 2023)
  3. Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (25 May 2023 – 25 May 2025)
  4. Established and improved traffic management systems and e-governance initiatives in Karnataka
  5. Helped set up the Centre for Cyber-crime Investigation, Training & Research
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Praveen Sood (CBI Director) born?

22 May 1964

What is Praveen Sood (CBI Director) known for?

Civil Servant

What is Praveen Sood (CBI Director)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Praveen Sood (CBI Director) married to?

Vinita Sood