Agrawal is a 1993-batch Indian Revenue Services (IRS) officer in Customs and Central Excise (C&CE) while Kumar is a 2004-batch IRS officer in Customs and Indirect Taxes (C&IT). Kumar has been closely associated with various important cases such as those against Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. 

At the same time, the Northern Region was assigned to Abhishek Goyal who will hold this position in addition to his current role as Special Director of Enforcement, Headquarters Investigation Unit (HIU). Goyal is a Karnataka cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 2005 batch. 

While the reshuffle is effective immediately, the officers will continue to oversee ongoing investigations related to coal block allocation as directed by the Supreme Court. Additionally, they will maintain their involvement in any court-monitored committees or SITs where they are currently members.

From IAS To IRS In Enforcement Directorate 

A major shift of power is being seen in the ED. IRS officers are observed to be trying to reclaim their position in the premier investigative body from their IAS and IPS counterparts. This began when Sanjay Kumar Mishra, a 1984-batch IRS officer, became the Director of the ED. He had pushed for key vacancies in the agency to be filled with officers from his service.

Incidentally, the agency for nearly 15 years remained under IAS and IPS officers, although the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance controlled the ED administratively.

The agency was formed in the 1950s to tackle foreign exchange-related violations, a civil provision. However, its mandate was extended to probe money laundering, a criminal offence, after the introduction of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in 2005.