The 69-year-old, who also served as Nagaland governor and led the investigation into the Aarushi Talwar murder case, left behind a note saying he was "embarking on a new journey", officials said.
Kumar became CBI director in 2008, succeeding Vijay Shanker, in the midst of the agency's probe into the Aarushi Talwar murder case that hogged the headlines.
After hours of uncertainty, Central Bureau of Investigation, the country's top investigation agency, finally has a new director. Reports had earlier indicated that Special Director M L Sharma, to whom Shanker had handed over the charge, would be the next chief.
Ashwani Kumar's family has negated the possibility of foul play.
Senior IPS official Ashwani Kumar took charge as the new director of the Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday. "My top priority would be to reduce the trail time of our cases," the new CBI director said. He added, "the CBI is under tremendous pressure to nab Dawood Ibrahim."
Nagaland Governor Ashwani Kumar resigned on Wednesday, becoming the third person occupying the gubernatorial post to put in his papers since the National Democratic Alliance government prodded some of the Governors, appointed during United Progressive Alliance rule, to quit.
The Centre has extended the tenure of CBI chief Praveen Sood by one year, marking his second extension in office. The decision follows a meeting of the selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ashwani Kumar on Monday denied that the premier investigative agency works under pressure from government but said shortage of staff was affecting its performance.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held protests across Punjab against the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) action against state minister Sanjeev Arora, accusing the central government of misusing agencies against its leaders. The BJP criticised the AAP workers' behaviour during the protests.
Under Bharatiya Janata Party's attack over appointing former Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ashwani Kumar as Governor of Nagaland, the government on Monday said it was within its right to do so for which there have been precedents.
Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Monday admitted before the Supreme Court that certain changes were made in the coalgate draft report on suggestions given by Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, Attorney General G E Vanahvati and the officials of PMO and Coal Ministry.
Central Bureau of Investigator Director Rajit Sinha is likely to inform the Supreme Court that the probe agency's report on the controversial coal mine allocation was shared with Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar but will make it clear there was no dilution of the document.
Former bureaucrats are pushing politicians from key posts, feel party loyalists.
Amid a controversy over the probe into coal block allocation, Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Friday discussed various matters related to the functioning of the central investigating agency with Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy.
Advocating the need for speeding up inquiries against officials with "doubtful integrity", Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ashwani Kumar on Wednesday blamed the "weak" criminal justice system for encouraging corrupt practices.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to convey to the Supreme Court on Monday that changes were proposed both by Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and Attorney General G M Vahanvati in its status report on investigations into the controversial allocation of coal blocks.
A day ahead of filing a crucial affidavit in the Supreme Court on coal scam which has rocked the United Progressive Alliance government, Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Sunday affirmed that the agency's probe into the matter was "clean and clear" and that no accused or suspect had been let off.
Arun Bhagat, former Central Bureau of Investigation additional director and Intelligence Bureau retiree tells Gyan Varma that the CBI has never been autonomous, thanks to government interference in cases involving important personalities
CVC secretary K S Ramasubban on October one wrote to the CBI director Ashwani Kumar seeking 'a discreet field verification' on the allegations of RIL purchasing flats in Mumbai for oil regulator V K Sibal's daughter and incurring expenses over purchase of white goods for her.
Indian Police Services officer Amar Pratap Singh was on Tuesday appointed the new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation for two years succeeding Ashwani Kumar.
There is a link among the blasts carried out at Ajmer Dargah, Mecca Masjid and Malegaon with self-styled right-wing group Abhinav Bharat believed to be behind them, Central Bureau of Investigation said on Monday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has informed the Centre about its reservations on taking up the case of alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir and it was upto the government to take a decision.
Facing flak for alleged shoddy prosecution in the 1984 Bhopal gas leak case, the Central Bureau of Investigation has accepted that its prosecution was not good as compared to the accused, who brought a battery of lawyers to defend them.
The revelation by CBI director Ranjit Sinha that the law minister and other officials had vetted a status report on coal-gate which was submitted to the SC may result in a severe grilling for Ashwani Kumar when the SC hears the case on April 30. Rakesh Bhatnagar reports.
Setting off a political bombshell, Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Friday submitted before the Supreme Court that the agency's status report on coal allocation scam was "shared" with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar "as desired by him" and that senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry had also seen it.
The special POCSO court in Muzaffarpur passed the order on Friday on an application filed by an accused.
The CBI team under Kumar had concluded that Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj were murdered by Krishna Thadarai- help at Talwar's clinic, his friend Rajkumar-- a domestic servant with Praful and Anita Durrani who were Talwars' friends, and Vijay Mandal, driver of Talwars' neighbour.
It is understood that he was confirmed positive for coronavirus on Thursday night.
'Probably revised guidelines will come, and then the real picture will emerge.'
West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan on Monday resigned, becoming the fourth person occupying the gubernatorial post to put in his papers since the National Democratic Alliance government prodded some of the Governors appointed during the United Progressive Alliance rule to quit.
The Centre has asked some of the Governors appointed during the United Progressive Alliance regime to quit in the wake of change of government.
The Congress on Wednesday kept up attack on the government over removal of governors appointed during United Progressive Alliance rule, saying its priority should be to combat inflation and not "shadow boxing" while the Janata Dal-United demanded a debate in Parliament over the very need of having governors.
Jindal's house was raided by the CBI on Tuesday.
A new video purportedly of the test conducted on Krishna has surfaced on social networking site YouTube which is 58.55-minute long. CBI sources claimed the agency, in its records, has only about 45 minutes of video of the test conducted on Krishna at Forensic Science Laboratory, Bengaluru.
The Supreme Court judgement will hopefully ensure that those in power and authority will hesitate before allotting precious natural resources that belong to each and every citizen of the country in an arbitrary and corrupt manner, says Paranjoy Guha Thakurta.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav demanded the Bihar CM to sack his deputy and lodge a case against him and arrest him.
Several girls were sexually assaulted in a shelter home run by Thakur in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. He was convicted under various sections of IPC, POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act.
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