The Ministry of Home Affairs may take action against former Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma – who was removed from his post on January 10 – for defying a government order appointing him the chief of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, reports said on Thursday.

Verma has violated the service rules for all-India service officers, unidentified officials told PTI. He may have to face departmental action, which may include the suspension of pensionary benefits.

The ministry reportedly wrote to the former CBI chief on Wednesday, directing him to take up the assignment. Unidentified officials told NDTV that his resignation will not be accepted until the investigation against him is completed.

Verma responded to the letter by the home ministry’s Deputy Secretary RS Vaidya, reiterating his position that he had already retired from the service on July 31, 2017, PTI reported.

Verma pointed out that his date of birth in official records is July 14, 1957, indicating that the date of superannuation was July 31, 2017. “The undersigned has already crossed the age of 61 years and continued to serve even after his superannuation date as director, CBI, which is a tenure post for a period of two years,” he wrote.

Verma said that since he had ceased to be the CBI director from the evening of January 10, he stood superannuated from the post from that moment. The former CBI director had first refused to take charge of the departments a day after being removed by the selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.