Alok Verma on Wednesday took charge as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director at the central investigating agency’s headquarters.
Supreme Court on Tuesday in its verdict reinstated CBI Chief Alok Verma. However, he cannot take major policy decisions.
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The judgment was read out by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul on behalf of Ranjan Gogoi, the Chief Justice of India, who was on leave on Tuesday.
The apex court was hearing the plea of Verma and NGO Common Cause challenging the Central government’s decision to send him on forced leave and divesting him of all responsibilities, calling the move an “extraordinary and unprecedented” situation.
On December 6, 2018, the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had reserved the verdict after hearing arguments of Verma, the Union Government, CVC, NGO Common Cause, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and others who were the party in the case.
During hearing in December last year, while confronting questions over the Centre’s sudden decision to send Verma on leave, the CVC had told the apex court that “extraordinary situations sometimes need extraordinary remedies.”
CJI Gogoi had raised questions over the timing of the order and asked why the government took immediate steps to divest Verma of his powers without consulting the Selection Committee.
Both CBI director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana were sent on leave in October last year after their feud had become public as they had leveled allegations of corruption against each other.
Asthana accused the CBI Director of accepting a bribe from a Hyderabad-based businessman being investigated by the agency. Simultaneously, Verma also accused Asthana of the same crime.
After sending Verma on leave and divesting him of all responsibilities, CBI’s Joint Director M Nageswara Rao was given the charge of the CBI as its interim chief.
(With ANI Inputs)
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