India, March 22 -- Former FBI chief Robert S Mueller III passed away on Friday at the age of 81.

"With deep sadness, we are sharing the news that Bob passed away" on Friday night, his family said in a statement Saturday. "His family asks that their privacy be respected."

Mueller, who served as FBI director from 2001 to 2013, is widely credited with transforming the agency into a more effective counterterrorism force in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Mueller later served as special counsel from 2017 to 2019, leading the Justice Department's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and potential coordination with Donald Trump's campaign, as well as possible obstruction of justice by Tru...