In the latest episode in a battle at the top in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), M Nageshwar Rao, who took charge as interim CBI Director of the central agency, on Friday cancelled all the transfer decisions taken by Alok Verma a day earlier, reported news agency PTI.

According to PTI, Rao took charge of the agency at 9 pm on Thursday.

In a fresh development, sacked CBI director Alok Verma has resigned from the Indian Police Service on Friday. Verma, who was due to retire on January 31, was told to take charge as DG Fire Services on Friday, but he refused to take new role and tendered his resignation in protest of his transfer order.

A high-powered select committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday shunted after a marathon meeting. There were eight counts of charges against him in the CVC report presented before the PM Modi-led Committee. The panel also had Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as Justice A K Sikri who was appointed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi as his nominee.

Breaking his silence over the issue, Verma, in a statement to PTI late on Thursday night, said the CBI being a prime investigating agency dealing in corruption in high public places is an institution whose independence should be preserved and protected.

"It must function without external influences. I have tried to uphold the integrity of the institution while attempts were being made to destroy it. The same can be seen from the orders of the central government and the CVC dated October 23, 2018, which were without jurisdiction and were set aside," he said.

Headed by the prime minister, the high-powered committee comprised Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Justice A K Sikri, appointed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi as his nominee.

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar