Founder director of NIA dies

Radha Vinod Raju was associated with probes into Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, hijacking of Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar in 1999 and Naval war room leak

PTI | June 21, 2012



Radha Vinod Raju, the founding Director General of National Investigation Agency (NIA), died at a private hospital here early on Thursday after a prolonged illness.

He was 62 and leaves behind his wife and two daughters.

Raju, who hails from Kerala, was being treated by an oncologist here for the past one year. Since January, he suffered from recurring bouts of pneumonia and was admitted to a private hospital here a week ago for lung infection, hospital sources said.

He was in the Intensive Care Unit and was on put on non invasive ventilator when the end came at 3:40 AM, they said.

Raju served as the first chief of NIA, which was set up following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

A 1975 batch IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre, Raju handled the case of US citizen Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Headley and also functioned as Director General (Vigilance) of Jammu and Kashmir.

Considered as one of the finest officers, Raju was associated with the probes into Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, hijacking of Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar in 1999 and Naval war room leak.

Comments

 

Other News

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter