CBI Interim Director M. Nageshwar Rao has cancelled all transfer decisions taken by his transferred predecessor Alok Verma and restored the position of officials as on January 8, officials said.
The fresh order issued by Mr. Rao on Friday declared all the orders issued by Mr. Verma as "non est".
"...And consequently all actions in pursuance thereof by all concerned are also hereby declared as null and void. In other words, status quo ante as on January 8, 2019 stands restored," the order accessed by PTI said.
Mr. Verma, after being reinstated by the Supreme Court on January 8 as CBI Director, reversed the transfers done by Mr. Rao. He appointed a new investigation officer to probe the case against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who too had been sent on forced leave.
The government gave the charge of the premier investigating agency to Mr. Rao after Mr. Verma and Mr. Asthana were moved out of the agency. Mr. Rao was in charge for 77 days but the Supreme Court stopped him from taking any major policy decisions. However, no such condition applies in his present tenure.
Panel transfers Verma
On January 10, the high-powered committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Justice A.K. Sikri and leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge shunted Mr. Verma out of the CBI.
The same day, at 9 p.m., Mr. Rao took charge, a CBI spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.