The Union government is likely to appoint former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Tapan Deka as the next Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, replacing Manoj Sinha, two government sources familiar with the matter quoted by ABP News said, as New Delhi seeks to strengthen its security management in the federally administered territory.
The appointment has not yet been officially announced, and the Ministry of Home Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Deka, a 1988-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, retired as Director of the Intelligence Bureau in June after serving a four-year term. During his career, he handled several high-profile counter-terrorism investigations, including operations against the Indian Mujahideen, the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack investigation and the probe into the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing.
Officials familiar with the proposed appointment, as per ABP, said Deka’s experience in intelligence and internal security made him the preferred choice as New Delhi continues to grapple with militancy and cross-border infiltration in the region.
Manoj Sinha, who assumed office as Lieutenant Governor in August 2020 after Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into a Union Territory, has continued in the role beyond the completion of five years as no successor has yet been appointed.
The possible change comes as the National Conference government, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has intensified its campaign for the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
The ruling party is scheduled to stage a protest at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on July 20, the opening day of Parliament’s monsoon session, demanding that the central government fulfil its repeated assurances to restore statehood.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status under Article 370 in August 2019 and split the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
While Assembly elections were held in 2024, restoring an elected government headed by Omar Abdullah, key administrative powers continue to remain with the Lieutenant Governor under the Union Territory framework.
If appointed, Deka would assume office at a politically sensitive time, balancing security challenges with growing political pressure over the restoration of statehood. The timing of any announcement remains unclear.
