The high powered panel headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that sacked Alok Verma from the CBI top post cited the CVC report and said “the extremely serious nature of observations made by the CVC against Verma”. However, Justice A K Patnaik, the retired Supreme Court judge who was asked by the apex court to supervise the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) enquiry on Friday said that there was no corruption charge against Alok Verma. He added, “what the CVC says cannot be the final word” reported by the Indian Express.
Justice Patnaik told The Indian Express: “There was no evidence against Verma regarding corruption. The entire enquiry was held on (CBI Special Director Rakesh) Asthana’s complaint. I have said in my report that none of the findings in the CVC’s report are mine.”
He termed the decision of high-powered panel headed by the PM Modi as ‘very, very hasty’. Underlining that his role was merely supervisory, he confirmed Verma’s claim in his letter Friday to the Department of Personnel and Training that the findings of the CVC report were not his.
“The Supreme Court entrusted me with the responsibility of supervising, so I ensured my presence, the Sana evidence etc, and I ensured that principles of natural justice were applied.
According to the news daily, Justice Patnaik had submitted a two-page report to the Supreme Court bench that was headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi stated that “the CVC forwarded to me [Juctice Patnaik] a statement dated 9.11.2018 purportedly signed by Shri Rakesh Asthana. I may clarify that this statement purportedly signed by Shri Rakesh Asthana was not made in my presence”.
Earlier on January 8, The Supreme Court reinstated CBI Chief Alok Verma setting aside CVC order dated October 23rd, 2017. Justice Kishan Kaul who pronounced the verdict on behalf of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said that the select committee will be called within seven days from Tuesday to take a decision on the basis of the findings of the CVC inquiry into the corruption allegations against the CBI director.
Later on Thursday, the high powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comprising CJI nominated Justice Sikri and Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge ousted the CBI Chief Alok Verma.
Mallikarjun Kharge was the only member in the high powered committee who gave a dissent note on the decision to sack Verma. Nageshwar Rao had been given an interim charge by the high powered panel. Alok Verma has been posted as Director General Fire Service, Civil Defence, and Home Guards. Sacked as CBI Director, Alok Verma refuses to take charge as DG Fire Services, tenders resignation
The Centre had in October last taken a decision against Verma and CBI’s Special Director Rakesh Asthana after their feud become public as they made allegations of corruption against each other. Following which, Alok Verma had moved to top Court sought to quash of three orders of October 23, 2018 — one by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and two by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), as being without jurisdiction and in violation of Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution.
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