Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana, the CBI's special director, were sent on leave in October last year after they levelled allegations of corruption against each other. The Modi government defended its decision to remove the duo by pointing to a need to restore public faith in the CBI. Verma reinstated as chief of top investgation agency But he can't take any immediate major policy decisions Verma had asked that 3 orders dated October 23 be quashed The Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated Alok Verma as director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), setting aside the Centre's decision to send him on leave before the end of his term in January this year. But there's a rider. The court asked a high-powered committee, consisting of the prime minister, the chief justice and the leader of the Opposition, to look into any required action against Verma. The CBI chief can't take any major policy decisions until that committee takes a call. The high-powered committee has been asked to meet within a week. Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana, the CBI's special director, were sent on leave in October last year after they levelled allegations of corruption against each other. The Modi government defended its decision to remove the duo by pointing to a need leave to restore public faith in the CBI. The feud between Verma and Asthana -- and the government action that followed it -- fuelled an opposition campaign accusing the Centre of hurting India's institutions. Alok Verma challenged the government's decision to send him on leave in the Supreme Court. He has asked that three orders, dated October 23, 2018, be quashed as being without jurisdiction and in violation of the Constitution -- one by the Central Vigilance Commission, and two by the Department of Personnel and Training. A bench led by Chief Jutsice Ranjan Gogoi reserved its order on December 6. Fighting 'like Kilkenny cats' Verma was Delhi's police commissioner before his appointment as CBI director on February 1, 2017. He was sent on forced leave before the end of his second year in office, when he and Special Director Rakesh Asthana (who was also sent on leave) accused each other of corruption. The Modi government told the Supreme Court that the duo had exposed India's premier investigation agency to public ridicule by fighting like "Kilkenny cats" -- essentially a fight that destroys both combatants. M Nageshwar Rao, a CBI joint director, took interim charge of the bureau in the absence of Verma and Asthana (His appointment has now been set aside.). A dramatic overhaul of the CBI's top leadership followed their departure. Alok Verma's term as CBI director was scheduled to end on January 31. "The position of law is that there will be a fixed tenure of two years and this gentleman cannot be even transferred," said Fali S Nariman, Verma's lawyer. Nariman said there was no basis for the Central Vigilance Commission to pass an order recommending that Verma be sent on leave.