48 hours after SC reinstated him, panel shunts Alok Verma out of CBI

NEW DELHI: Just two days after he earned a reprieve from the Supreme Court, a PM-led panel has ejected Alok Verma as director of the CBI bringing up serious charges of corruption against him.

Verma, whom the federal government impulsively moved as director basic (fireplace products and services and home guards), a rather unenviable station within the police set-up, also faces an investigation, including for felony charges. Nageswara Rao, who worked as intervening time chief when Verma was at the bench, will officiate as the director until the federal government unearths a replacement, an workout which should take as much as 10 days.

A high-level committee, led by PM Narendra Modi and including Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and SC judge A K Sikri, beneficial Verma’s removal by a 2:1 break up order, with the opposition leader filing a dissent observe arguing for the continuation of Verma. Kharge contended that the curbs that the SC had imposed at the IPS officer when it introduced him back as the company chief on Tuesday should be removed.

Verma to blame of graft, misled us in Asthana case: CVC

The apex court had on Tuesday asked the PM-led panel to come to a decision inside of a week on whether or not CBI chief Alok Verma could be allowed to continue until January 31, when he superannuates, in view of the CVC’s findings.

The decision which sparked protests from Congress and is sure to further inflame its battle with the federal government was taken at the foundation of the findings of a probe carried out by the Central Vigilance Commission which investigated the charges against the IPS officer underneath the supervision of retired SC judge A K Patnaik.

The vigilance frame, which submitted its findings to an SC bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, found Verma to blame on 5 of the 10 alleged cases of corruption, felony misconduct, interference in sensitive circumstances, shielding giant defaulters and other offences.

The CVC also said Verma misled the vigilance frame when he said that the company was probing his factional rival Rakesh Asthana for his role within the Sterling Biotech case, besides finding him to blame of seeking to induct officials of doubtful integrity in CBI.

The CVC rejected two allegations as unsubstantiated, however held that three others required to be investigated in detail. Sources said that the high-level committe held that “Verma had no longer functioned with the integrity anticipated of the top of a sensitive organisation”.

Although Verma’s new put up is likely one of the 15 DG-rank positions on the Centre, it's moderately a fall for the officer, who, after a sedate occupation spanning many years, made headlines by tussling with his deputy, special director Rakesh Asthana. “It is defrocking,” said a senior IPS officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The PM-led high-level panel derives its mandate from the Supreme Court order which sought to innoculate the CBI chief from political interference. The CJI Gogoi-led bench held that the federal government was required to take the prior consent of the panel for even sending the director on depart.