Mannem Nageswara Rao Biography 
Mannem Nageswara Rao, better known as M. Nageswara Rao is the interim Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) since 24 October 2018. He is an IPS officer of 1986 batch, who served as Joint Director before being appointed as the Director of CBI. He joined CBI in 2016. Following Alok Verma, director of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s open conflicts with his colleague and IPS officer, Rakesh Asthana - the Special Director at the Central Bureau of Investigation, the government forcibly sent both these officers on leave and appointed M. Nageshwar Rao as interim chief of the probe agency. In fact both the officers have accused each other for taking bribes, leading to a controversy.
Nageswara Rao hails from Warangal district in Telangana. He is from the 1986 batch of Odisha cadre and supersedes Rakesh Asthana, the Special Director of CBI. Rao joined the CBI in 2016. He was the joint director before his elevation as interim director. Rao holds a graduation in Chemistry from Osmania University in Hyderabad. He did research in Indian Institute of Technology Chennai, before joining the IPS.
Rao remained an efficient officer throughout his career and has received President’s medal, Special Duty medal and Odisha governor’s medal for his police service. He is known to be a tough cop and decorated administrator in police department. He was the first officer in Odisha to use DNA fingerprinting to solve a rape case, and has worked as Additional Director General of Police (Railways), Orissa. In a late-night move on 24th October 2018, two senior officers of the country’s top investigating agency were sent on "compulsory leave" and Rao was appointed as the interim Director of CBI.
Published: October 28, 2018
Updated: October 28, 2018
