Mannem Nageswar Rao, a crisis manager, to head crisis-hit CBI

WARANGAL: Mannem Nageswar Rao, who was appointed interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is the second Telangana state native to head the premier investigating agency.

The first was Mr K. Vijaya Rama Rao, appointed CBI director in 1993. The two are neighbours in a sense, Mr Nageswar Rao, also known as MNR, was born in Boru Narsapur in Mangapet mandal of Jayashankar Bhupalapalli district and Mr Vijaya Rama Rao in Ramannagudem in the adjacent Eturnagaram mandal.

Mr Rao’s nephew Dulipala Poornachandra Rao said he wanted to be a police officer since when he as in school. “We are all happy to see him become successful,” Mr Poornachandra Rao said.

His maternal uncle Dulipala Sambashiva Rao said Mr Rao last came to the village five years ago when his mother passed away. “Being a highly ranked police officer, he visits the village very rarely due to his work commitments but we all feel proud of him,” he said. As a youngester, Mr Nageswar Rao used to plough his agriculture field and was known to enthusiastic, sincere and dedicated. “His hardworking nature took him in this position today,” he said.

Mr Rao had his primary education in Mangapet and did his Intermediate in the AVV Junior College on JPN Road in Warangal. He joined CKM College on Desaipet Road for his graduation and post graduation in chemistry. He later joined IIT-Madras for research and was selected to the IPS in 1986. He is a post-graduate in Chemistry from Osmania University. 

Mr Rao was the first officer in Odisha to use DNA fingerprinting in crime investigation while probing a rape case in Jagatsinghpur district in 1996. He is said to have played an active role in releasing Lodhas (a de-notified criminal tribe) in Mayurbhanj district from the vicious cycle of “crime-police-courts-jail-crime”.

Mr Rao, as additional director general of Fire Service and Home Guards of Odisha, had displayed excellent performance in disaster management during the cyclone Philin in 2013 and Hudhud in 2014.

His bagged the first Odisha Chief Minister's award for excellence in governance and innovation in public service for outstanding work during the two cyclones. Mr Rao wsa awarded a Rs 5 lakh prize.

When Cyclone Hudhud hit Visakhapatnam, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had asked Mr Rao to lead a team of more than 500 Fire Service personnel for rescue operations, an officer said. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu felicitated Rao in a public function in Visakhapatanam.