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Parag Jain
Incumbent Secretary of R&AW From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Parag Jain (born 1 January 1967) is an Indian bureaucrat and IPS officer and currently serving as the Secretary of Research and Analysis Wing from 1 July 2025 onwards.[2] He is known for playing a crucial role in the Operation Sindoor, which was launched by India in May 2025.[3] Jain is accused of serious human rights abuses in Punjab against Sikhs [4] and foreign interference in Canada after CSIS discovered his activities.[5]
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Early life and education
Jain was born on 1 January 1967 in Nawla village, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India.[1] He has completed M.A. in History and M.B.A. in Public Service from University of Birmingham.[1][6]
Career
Jain joined the Indian Police Service through Punjab Police in 1989.[7]
Jain spent his career both home and abroad. As an SSP, he served at Chandigarh. Later he was appointed as DIG of the Ludhiana range.[8][9] In 2005, he was awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.
Reportedly, while assigned at Hoshiarpur, he fought against activists of Khalistan Movement.[10] He was also accused of extrajudicial murder of a 19 year old Sikh while serving as SP, Patiala.[11] He is known to handle affairs related to Pakistan within R&AW. He was serving at Kashmir during the 2019 Balakot airstrike and abrogation of Article 370.[12] As foreign deputation, he was posted at Sri Lanka and Canada. While posted in Canada, he oversaw Khalistani activities.[13] In Canada, his activities were discovered by Canadian spy agency, CSIS and his name figured in a top secret report.[5]
In 2021, he was promoted to the rank of Director General of Police.[14][15] On the time of promotion, he was on deputation to the Cabinet Secretariat.[16]
Prior to his appointment as Secretary of R&AW, he led the Aviation Research Centre.[17]
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Controversies
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In 1993, while posted as SP Patiala, Jain was accused of abduction, torture and extrajudicial execution of a 19 years old Sikh, Sukhdev Singh. The incident, involving torture and a secret cremation, was documented in a Crimes Against Humanity database. [4][citation needed]
In 2008, he was accused of refusing to vacate his residence provided by Chandigarh administration in January 2000. He had served his tenure as SSP, Chandigarh and was already repatriated back to Punjab Police.[18]
In 2015, while being posted as Counsellor (Community Affairs) in India's Vancouver Consulate, his intelligence activities were detected by CSIS.[5] His activities were detailed in a June 2019 top secret NSCIOP report for foreign interference alongside that of another Consulate staff, Amarjit Singh.[5] [better source needed]Jain was influencing domestic politics through a visa blacklist and facilitating visas for politicians of Indian origin and their friends. Jain and Amarjit were also infiltrating Sikh Gurdwaras to start infighting on cultural wars topics. Report further stated that after receiving a windfall of intelligence on Indian networks, CSIS planned to use new threat reduction powers implemented by the Harper Government in early 2015, to target and roll up India’s clandestine cells in Canada. PM Justin Trudeau failed to act in time on this foreign interference due to political sensitivity and in order to not disrupt his upcoming visit to India in February 2018.[5]
In 2025, his appointment was criticized by World Sikh Organization.[citation needed] They said that Jain's appointment means doubling down of Indian campaign of transnational repression against Sikhs, and that, under Jain, India will also promote and protect those who will carry out India's foreign interference agenda.[11][better source needed]
References
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