The Delhi Police on Thursday morning detained four persons outside the home of ousted Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma for allegedly lurking around the building and trying to spy, NDTV reported. The men reportedly belong to the Intelligence Bureau and were keeping an eye on Verma, the news channel reported, quoting unidentified officials.

Verma, along with CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, was sent on leave by the government late on Tuesday. The two officers have been locked in a tussle and have accused each other of accepting bribes. The government appointed M Nageshwar Rao the interim director.

According to The Wire, the men who were detained were seen sitting in a car outside the house’s perimeter around 4 am. Security personnel posted at the house caught them and took them inside. The four men were allegedly found with Intelligence Bureau identity cards with them, The Indian Express reported. The suspects are currently being questioned.

An unidentified official from the Ministry of Home Affairs told The Indian Express that the officers had stopped there to “check why an unusual collection of people had collected at Janpath”.

“This is a high-security zone where several protectees reside. Unfortunately, their presence was projected otherwise,” the officer said, adding that officers were regularly, “routinely deployed” in sensitives areas for matters of public order and internal security.

Unidentified sources from the Intelligence Bureau have denied that its officers were present at the spot.

Verma moved the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the Centre’s decision to send him on leave. He urged the court to insulate the agency from government interference, and said the decision of the Department of Personnel and Training and the Central Vigilance Commission to divest him of his powers overnight was “patently illegal”.