New Delhi: Odisha cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and CBI Additional Director, M Nageswar Rao was today removed from the post and appointed as Director General, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guard.

The government in its order said, "Upon the curtailment of tenure of M. Nageswar Rao, IPS (OD 1986), Additional Director, CBI, by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and placing of his service with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the competent authority has approved his appointment as Director General, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guard by temporarily downgrading the post to the level of Additional Director General (Level-15 of pay matrix), for a combined tenure up to his superannuation on July 31, 2020 or until further orders, whichever is earlier."

A 1986-batch IPS officer, Rao was first given charge as interim Director of the CBI after the government in October, last year sent CBI Director Alok Verma on leave, divesting him of his powers along with Special Director Rakesh Asthana following a bitter spat between them alleging each other's involvement in corruption.

Rao was again given the charge of the acting CBI chief on February 11, 2019, a day after Verma was removed from the post.