NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: In a twist to the tug-of-war between the Centre and Tamil Nadu over the appointment of Archana Ramasundaram as the first woman CBI additional director, the state government on Thursday suspended the IPS officer hours after she took charge in the new post.Sources said Tamil Nadu chief secretary Mohan Verghese Chungath sent out Ramasundaram’s suspension order late on Thursday evening as the 1980-batch officer didn’t inform the state government about her new role in the CBI. Explaining the state government’s stand, a senior official said, “Archana Ramasundaram has deserted from her last position as the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board.”The official said Ramasundaram sent her formal letter to the TN chief secretary only on Thursday afternoon, saying that she has joined as the CBI additional director.In a formal letter sent to the Centre, Chungath said, “The IPS officer should not be allowed to take charge in the new position. Even if she has already taken charge, she should be relieved immediately and sent to her headquarters (Tamil Nadu).”However, the All India Services manual says that the Centre can depute an officer in extraordinary circumstances in which there is concurrence of the officer and the Centre even if the state government is not in agreement.Having waited for the Jayalalithaa government to relieve the IPS officer for three months, the Centre finally intervened after CBI Director Ranjit Sinha recently conveyed to it that work in the agency was getting affected. The 56-year-old officer’s name was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.The appointment had generated controversy as CBI locked horns with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the home ministry over the choice. CVC and the Union home secretary had recommended another officer, R K Pachnanda, whose choice was opposed by Sinha.The All India Services manual gives such powers to the Centre in connection with the deputation of officers. “A cadre officer may, with the concurrence of state government or the state governments concerned and the central government, be deputed for service under the central government or another state government or under a company, association or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, which is wholly or substantially owned or controlled by the central government or by another state government. Provided that in case of any disagreement, the matter shall be decided by the central government and the state government concerned shall give effect to the decision of central government,” says the manual.A government source said if cadre clearance had been given to an All India Services officer and he/she had been selected by Appointments Committee of Cabinet, the Centre can itself pull the officer without waiting for state government’s consent.Ramasundaram had earlier served in the agency as deputy inspector general and later as its first woman Joint Director, handling cases relating to economic offences between 1999 and 2006, including the Telgi stamp scam.After her appointment, a PIL was filed in Allahabad high court challenging the decision of the government. Her appointment has again been challenged in the Supreme Court by journalist Vineet Narain after which a bench headed by Chief Justice R M Lodha issued a notice to the Centre and Ramasundaram asking them to file their responses. It will come up for hearing on Friday.