NGO Common Cause through senior advocate Prashant Bhushan approaches Supreme Court against M Nageswara Rao's appointment as interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.


Last week, a high power select committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge and Justice AK Sikri decided to removed Alok Verma from the post of CBI Director, two days after he was reinstated to the post by the Supreme Court on January 8.


After 39 years of service, Verma, who was asked by the select committee to join as DG of Fire Services, Home Guards and Civil Defence, refused to take charge and resigned.


Verma had ordered the withdrawal of all transfers facilitated by Nageswara Rao when he was first appointed the interim director in a midnight change of guard at the CBI in October last year.


Verma had also recalled 13 officers, including AK Bassi and SS Gurm who were part of a special investigation team that was probing corruption allegations against special director Rakesh Asthana in the Moin Qureshi case.


Two days ago, Rao, as the interim CBI chief, had withdrawn the transfer orders and brought them back to be a part of the SIT.


Image: CBI interim chief Nageswara Rao