The Supreme Court will announce on Tuesday its verdict on a petition filed by Central Bureau of Investigation Director Alok Verma challenging the government’s move to divest him of his powers, Bar and Bench reported. The non-governmental organisation Common Cause had also filed a similar petition. The court had reserved its order on December 6.
On October 23, the Centre had relieved both Verma and his deputy, Rakesh Asthana, of their duties after they traded charges of corruption and interference in several cases. They had later moved the Supreme Court against the action.
The tussle in the CBI had come to light on October 15 after the agency named Asthana in a First Information Report for allegedly accepting a Rs 2-crore bribe to scuttle an investigation against businessman Moin Qureshi, who is accused in multiple corruption cases. Asthana, in turn, accused Verma of trying to falsely implicate him and levelled corruption charges against him.
During the hearings in the Supreme Court, the Centre had said it was “absolutely essential” for it to step in and relieve Verma of his powers and duties to save the public image of the institution. Verma’s counsel had told the court that the CBI director cannot be transferred without the approval of the selection committee that had appointed him.
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