Goel will replace 1997 batch IFS officer Raj Kumar Srivastava, the incumbent India’s representative to Croatia. 

Sources say that he has been given the prized position as compensation for the invaluable service he extended to the establishment and the way he carried himself after the abrupt resignation. 

Goel’s tenure was till 05.12.2027, and he would have become Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) after incumbent Rajiv Kumar retired in February 2025. 

Similarly, Ashok Lavasa (Retd IAS: 1980: HY) had also resigned abruptly though he too was compensated properly after the Govt of India nominated him for a key foreign position. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Lavasa as Vice-President for Private Sector Operations and Public–Private Partnerships.

The latest development also reminds of former CBI Chief R K Raghavan’s appointment as India's High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus in August 2017.