M. Nageshwar Rao, the interim CBI director, is no stranger to controversy.

Sources said Rao was abruptly transferred from the Chennai zone to Chandigarh last year by Alok Verma, the benched CBI director, following a series of allegations.

A 1986 batch officer, Rao served in various capacities in the Odisha cadre before he became a joint director at the CBI. His last responsibility in Odisha was as additional director of railway police.

Rao hails from Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. A post-graduate from the Osmania University, he completed his research at IIT Madras.

The sources said that in 2016, when Rao was the chief of the fire service directorate in Bhubaneswar, a controversy had broken out over alleged misappropriation of funds in purchasing uniforms.

Soon after Rao’s appointment, DMK chief M.K. Stalin alleged that Rao had been brought in to “cover up the Rafale scam investigations”. “Several complaints were sent to the CBI director against Rao and there are reports that the CBI director Alok Verma wanted to initiate investigations into allegations against him. Is this move initiated to cover up Rafale scam investigations?” Stalin told ANI, the news agency.

Stalin also alleged that Rao’s appointment was nothing but an attempt by the BJP government “to ensure that the CBI remains a caged parrot”.

Rao could not be contacted by this newspaper for comment.