M. Nageswara Rao a controversial pick for interim CBI chief
Senior police officer stands accused of trying to kill an active graft investigation and misappropriating Rs30mn
M. Nageswara Rao, who hails from Warangal district in Telangana, is a post graduate in chemistry from Osmania University, Hyderabad.
Before joining the police service, Rao studied at the famous Madras Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). He was additional director-general of Odisha Police and later served as Chennai’s zonal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) head.
Rao holds the distinction of being the first officer in Odisha to use DNA fingerprinting technology in a criminal investigation. He also served as Superintendent of Police (SP) for the railways at Rourkela and Cuttack.
As head of the Odisha Fire Service Department, he received the Chief Minister’s Award for his contribution during cyclones Phailin in 2013 and Hudhud in 2014.
Rao later went on to become deputy inspector-general (DIG) and inspector-general (IG) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He also received the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service.
Rao led several operations against Naxals while heading CRPF in the Eastern Sector in Kolkata. He is known for leading successful Lalgarh operations against Naxals in 2008.
However, soon after his appointment as CBI’s interim chief, a set of allegations were levied against him. He is accused of not carrying out proper investigations into a money laundering case involving VGN Developers in Chennai.
Due to Rao’s “lack of cooperation”, CBI’s Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) failed to conduct any searches in the houses of the accused. The ACB said Rao had instructed the investigating team to file a closure report in the case.
In 2016, Rao was accused of misappropriating nearly Rs30 million (Dh1.5 million) in the purchase of yellow uniforms for fire officials in Odisha. The auditors revealed that there had been no approval from the Home Department for the introduction of the yellow uniforms.