When Radha Vinod Raju finally takes over as the first chief of the National Investigation Agency (NIA),constituted in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks,he will bring years of experience in tackling two current and deadly insurgencies,as well as a reputation of making headway in even the most difficult and politically charged cases. He was serving as Director General of Jammu and Kashmirs Vigilance Organisation until his deputation to the newly constituted Central agency and his tenure is slated to continue until January 31,2010. A 1975-batch IPS officer,Raju was well known in J-K long before he achieved national recognition. He began his career as a police officer in the northernmost state and over the years earned a name for being one of the finest investigators of the J-K Police. His claim to fame,however,is his work with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He played a key role of the investigation into the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and,in 1991,led the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) operation in Bangalore in which the LTTE mastermind Sivarasan was hunted down before he shot himself in the head. His experience in tracking down Tamil Tigers did not end there and it is significant that his appointment as the chef of Indias premier new counter-terrorism investigating agency has come at a time when Sri Lankan troops finally have a realistic chance of nabbing LTTE boss Prabhakaran. In June,1995,when New Delhi first sought Prabhakarans extradition from Colombo in case of his arrest,it was Raju who signed the affidavit and provided the evidence against the LTTE chief. Raju later co-authored a book,Triumph of Truth,The Rajiv Gandhi Assassination The Investigation,in which he provided intricate details of the investigation and prosecution of the case,while also giving an insight into Sri Lankas ethnic problem. He was also associated with other high-profile probes,including the hijacking of IC-814 in Kandahar,the Naval war room leak case and the Tapasi Malik murder in Singur. While he was in the CBI,Raju held a number of prominent posts in the Special Crime and Anti-Corruption Divisions. In Kashmir,meanwhile,Raju is known for some ground-breaking investigations and for his immaculate reputation. Other than serving as the head of the states anti-corruption watchdog Vigilance Organisation,he has served here as Senior Superintendent of Police,Jammu,Deputy Inspector General,Anantnag,Inspector General (IG),Jammu Range and IG,Crime Branch during his long career with the J-K Police. He has also been part of several anti-militant operations. Sources reveal that Raju will take with him a few Kashmir-cadre officers to assist him in NIA where the emphasis of his work will be on counter-terrorism. Incidentally,a major criticism of the NIA has been its overwhelming emphasis on investigations rather than intelligence gathering and other preventive mechanisms. Raju,too,has earned his reputation for his prowess as an investigator. This new assignment,thus,comes with a challenge for him to not only establish NIA as the countrys major counter-terror outfit,but also as a premier intelligence gathering agency. In the process,Raju will himself need to make a fresh start.
