Odisha cadre IPS officer appointed as the interim director of CBI

M Nageshwar Rao, a 1986 batch IPS officer from the Odisha cadre, has been appointed as the interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The selection of Rao to head CBI was lauded by many as the country’s premier investigation agency is, for the first time in its history, hit by a situation akin to a disaster. Rao is known for his acumen in handling disasters in the state as well as neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Nageshwar Rao’s first posting was as a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) in Odisha’s Talcher in 1989-90, where he demonstrated his tough-cop qualities.

Besides serving as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Odisha’s four districts – Mayurbhanj, Nabarangapur, Bargarh and Jagatsinghpur – he was also SP, Railways at Rourkela and Cuttack, as well as SP of the Crime Branch.

He was the first officer in Odisha to use DNA fingerprinting in crime investigation while probing a rape case in Jagatsinghpur district in 1996.

Nageshwar Rao served as the head of the Odisha Fire Service. Rao received a chief minister’s award for his work during cyclones Phailin (in 2013) and Hudhud (in 2014). He is also the recipient of the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, Special Duty Medal and Odisha Governor’s Medal.

Nageshwar Rao is from the Mangapet village of Warangal district in Telangana. He is a chemistry post graduate from Osmania University. He did research work at IIT-Madras before joining the IPS in 1986.

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