New Delhi, November 19: After the counsel representing embattled CBI chief Alok Verma sought additional time period from the Supreme Court to respond to CVC inquiry report, the bench led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said it would not adjourn the hearing scheduled on Tuesday. Partially considering the plea, the court extended the deadline by three hours, asking Verma to file his reply by 4pm today.

Verma was on Friday handed over the report of inquiry conducted against him by the Central Vigilance Commission in a sealed cover. The bench had then asked him to submit his response by 1pm on Monday. No CVC Clean Chit to Alok Verma, Supreme Court Asks Exiled CBI Chief to File Response.

Earlier in the day, Verma had moved the apex court with a request seeking extension of the time allotted to him for responding to the CVC probe. The bench, however, agreed to provide him with only a three-hour breather.

Verma, who sent on a forced leave on October 23, is accused by CBI special director Rakesh Asthana of seeking a bribe of Rs 3 crore from Hyderabad-based businessman Satish Sana, in lieu of clearing him from the money laundering case involving controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi.

Verma, on the other hand, has accused Asthana of demanding bribe upto Rs 5 crore from Sana, while threatening to frame him in the Moin Qureshi case.

Both Verma and Asthana - dubbed as CBI no.1 and no.2 respectively - were sent on leave last month amid a deadlock in the premier agency's top brass. Alok Verma Not 1st CBI Chief at Loggerheads With Govt, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Had Sacked Trinath Mishra in 1998.

The battle reached the Supreme Court when Verma challenged his "forced leave", calling it illegal and arbitrary. Petitions questioning the constitutional validity of his ouster were also filed by NGO Common Cause and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

Kharge, a member of the three-member panel mandated to appoint or transfer the top CBI officer, said the action against Verma is illegal since neither he nor the Chief Justice of India was consulted by the Prime Minister before taking the "unilateral decision".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 12:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).