CBI Bribery Case: Alok Verma Files Response to CVC Inquiry Report in Supreme Court
Verma was on Friday handed over the CVC report by CJI Ranjan Gogoi-led bench, asking him to submit a reply today. Earlier in the day, Verma's lawyers had rushed SC seeking extension of the deadline to file the response.
New Delhi, November 19: Exiled CBI chief Alok Verma on Monday filed his response to the CVC inquiry against him in the alleged bribery case. Verma's reply was submitted before the Supreme Court bench at 1pm today by his counsel in a sealed cover.
Verma was on Friday handed over the CVC report by CJI Ranjan Gogoi-led bench, asking him to submit a reply today. Earlier in the day, Verma's lawyers had rushed the apex court seeking extension of the deadline to file the response.
The court, however, provided only a three-hour breather, asking Verma's counsel to ensure the reply is submitted before 4pm.
"Even though we sought a little time from the court, the sealed cover reply of Mr Verma was filed with the secretary general at 1 pm," lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing Verma, said. Alok Verma Not 1st CBI Chief at Loggerheads With Govt, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Had Sacked Trinath Mishra in 1998.
The apex court, on November 16, had asked Verma to file his response in a sealed cover to the preliminary probe report of the Central Vigilance Commission on corruption charges against the CBI Director by 1 pm on Monday.
The bench made clear that it will not shift the schedule date of hearing and asked him to file his response "as quickly as possible" during the day by 4 pm itself to enable it to peruse the reply.
Earlier, the apex court had said that the CVC has made some "very uncomplimentary" findings in its probe on corruption allegations against Verma and wanted further investigations into some of the charges which required more time, adding there were also some "very complimentary" conclusions.
Summing up the "exhaustive" confidential report of the CVC given to it, the court ordered that its copy along with the annexure be given to Verma in a sealed cover.
Verma had approached the apex court challenging the Centre's decision to divest him of his duties and sending him on leave following his feud with special CBI director Rakesh Asthana, who has levelled corruption allegations against him. Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave.
Pursuant to the top court's order, the CVC's inquiry against Verma was conducted under the supervision of former apex court judge Justice A K Patnaik and the report was filed in the court on November 12.
Besides the plea filed by Verma, the court is also seized of the PIL filed by NGO Common Cause, which has sought a probe by special investigation team against CBI officers.
Besides, it had barred Rao from taking any major policy decision but granted him liberty to perform routine tasks that are essential to keep the CBI functional.
On November 4, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge had also moved the top court contending that divesting Verma of his statutory powers and functions is "completely illegal and arbitrary".
In an interlocutory application filed in the pending petition, Kharge, who is also a member of the three-member selection committee which appoints the CBI director, said that "as a concerned stakeholder he brings to the attention of the court the brazen and illegal actions" of the political executive in interfering with the independent functioning of the CBI director.
(With PTI inputs)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 04:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).