Central Bureau of Investigation official AK Bassi on Monday approached the Supreme Court against an order issued by the interim agency chief M Nageswara Rao transferring him to Port Blair, ANI reported.

Bassi was first transferred in October 2018 along with 12 other CBI officials after Rao took over as interim chief. This had come after the Centre divested then CBI director Alok Verma after infighting in the agency.

The other transferred officials included the agency’s Joint Director (Policy) AK Sharma, Deputy Inspectors General MK Sinha, Anish Prasad, KR Chaurasia, Tarun Gauba and Additional Superintendent of Police SS Gurm.

Bassi and Sinha were investigating Verma’s deputy Rakesh Asthana, who the agency had accused of corruption. The Centre had relieved Asthana too of his duties on October 23.

On January 8, the Supreme Court quashed the Centre’s order relieving Verma from his duties. Soon after he came back to the agency, Verma cancelled most of the transfer orders issued by Rao. However, two days later, Verma was once again removed from the chief’s post after a meeting of a selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rao took over as interim director again, and issued a notification to nullify all transfer orders signed by Verma in the two days of his reinstatement.