CBI chief Alok Verma’s petition in Supreme Court: Interim chief M Nageswar Rao will only be an administrative head, said Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi
AMN / NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court today said a vigilance inquiry against CBI chief Alok Verma must be completed in two weeks. The court also said M Nageswar Rao, the man who has been given temporary charge of Mr Verma’s role, cannot take any policy decisions.
Mr Rao will only be an administrative head, said a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, adding that all the decisions he has taken since being handed charge in a post-midnight government order must be submitted in court in a sealed cover.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi posted the next date of hearing on November 12.
The bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph, issued notices on the petition filed by an NGO, Common Cause, which has sought a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe against the CBI officers
A retired Supreme Court judge will oversee the inquiry of the Central Vigilance Commission against the banished CBI chief. The top court will take up the case next after Diwali, on November 12.
The court did not take any decision on Mr Verma’s deputy Rakesh Asthana, who has also challenged the government’s decision to send him on leave over allegations of bribery. “We are not bothered about Rakesh Asthana,” said the judges.
Mr Verma was stripped of his powers days after he launched an investigation into corruption allegations against his deputy Rakesh Asthana, accused of taking bribe in an investigation against a businessman.
Rakesh Asthana, CBI’s Special Director, fired back at his boss with the same charge, alleging it was Mr Verma who had taken bribe from the same businessman. Those are the charges being examined by the vigilance body, which oversees the CBI.
The court order may undo the transfers of a dozen CBI officers in Mr Verma’s team, including those investigating Mr Asthana. The transfers were ordered by Mr Rao soon after he took over as interim chief around 2 am on Tuesday night.