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NEW DELHI: In the midst of internal fight between CBI director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana , the government on Wednesday stepped in and appointed M Nageshwar Rao as interim chief of the investigating agency "with immediate effect".Both Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana have been sent on leave. The Prime Minister-led appointments committee in an order on Tuesday night has given charge of director to Joint Director M Nageshwara Rao with immediate effect, a government order said.The order implies that the government has sidelined all the three additional directors number three in the agency's hierarchy, including A K Sharma, whose name had figured in the complaint by Asthana.Both CBI director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana have been "divested of all powers", sources said, calling it the first such case in the history of the agency.Nageshwar Rao, IPS, was working as joint director in the agency. He will look after duties and functions of director CBI and shall take over the duties and functions with immediate effect.According to top government officials, the whole action pertaining to removing CBI director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana has been taken after the Chief Vigilance Commission ( CVC ), which has got complaints of corruption against Verma, felt that as long as these two stay in the agency, there can't be fair probe on charges against them.The government's action comes a day after high-voltage drama involving director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana in the Delhi high court.On Tuesday, the Delhi high court directed the CBI to maintain status quo on the criminal proceedings initiated against the agency's special director Rakesh Asthana and a trial court sent an arrested mid-level officer facing bribery charges to seven-day remand, as the unprecedented internecine battle between the two top officers of the CBI entered the judicial arena.During the court hearing, the CBI also submitted that charges of extortion and forgery were added against Asthana and Devender Singh, a Deputy Superintendent police of CBI who was arrested on Monday by the agency for allegedly taking bribe and falsification of records.After Asthana approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the agency's FIR against him, a single judge bench directed the CBI to maintain status quo on the criminal proceedings initiated against him till October 29, the next date of hearing, but clarified there was no stay on the ongoing probe considering the nature and gravity of the case.(With inputs from agencies)