Centre moves to extinguish CBI fire, appoints interim director: Here is what we know about Nageshwar Rao

Amid an infighting in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Centre has sent the agency's director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana on leave. Meanwhile, M Nageshwar Rao, currently a Joint Director in the CBI, has taken charge as interim director of the premier central investigating agency. 

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved that during the period of the subsistence of the aforesaid interim measure, cited in reference above, M Nageshwar Rao, IPS, presently working as Joint Director, CBI, shall look after duties and functions of Director CBI and shall take over the duties and functions with immediate effect," said an order by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, dated October 23, 2013.

According to reports, Rao took charge on Wednesday morning.

Nageshwar Rao is a 1986 batch IPS officer from Odisha cadre. He was appointed as Joint Director in the CBI on April 7, 2016 for a period of 5 years. Before that, he was the Additional Director General of Odisha Police. 

Rao hails from  Warangal district in Telangana State. He is a chemistry post graduate from Osmania University, Hyderabad. 

The decision to appoint Rao as interim director of the CBI came on the day when the matter reached the Delhi High Court as CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana accused the agency's chief, Alok Kumar Verma, of trying to "falsely implicate" him in a bribery case to "hide" his own alleged "criminal misconduct of influencing investigations in lieu of money."

Agency's Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, who was arrested Monday in a case involving Asthana, also alleged the proceedings are not only a shocking portrayal of misuse of authority which undermines the credibility of the institution, but also illustrates how he was made a "scapegoat" to achieve illegal goals.

Kumar was arrested Monday by the agency for allegedly taking bribe and falsification of records.

After Asthana approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the agency's FIR against him, a single judge bench directed the CBI to maintain status quo on the criminal proceedings initiated against him till October 29, the next date of hearing, but clarified there was no stay on the ongoing probe considering the nature and gravity of the case.

(With PTI inputs)