Alok Verma Appoint as CBI Director Again After Being Dismissed

The SC says the management should have referred to the Select Committee comprising the Chief Justice of India, Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition to begin Alok Verma's removal.

In a major delay for the government, the Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstates Alok Verma as the CBI Director after it set sideways the Central Vigilance Commission's October-23 order divest him of the CBI chief's powers. However, the Supreme Court said that Verma can't take major decision till the high-powered select commission comes out with its views on the action taken against him.

Raising objections over Alok Verma's elimination, the Supreme Court has said the government should have referred to the Select Committee comprising the Chief Justice of India, Prime Minister and Leader of an antagonism to initiate Alok Verma's elimination. The judgments were marked by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph on behalf of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, who is on leave. Verma's two-year tenure as the CBI Director ends on January 31.

"The Supreme Court has today quashed the government and CVC's decision to strip Alok Verma from the powers of the CBI director. Despite restoring him, the court has also said he can't take major policy decision till the high-powered panel comprising the PM; Leader of the antagonism comes up with its report. But, unhappily, and weirdly, he will not be able to take major policy decisions, so it's a partial victory," said senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

He said that he will be able to take normal decisions connected to the ongoing and pending cases, as they don't come in major policy decisions. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the SC reinstate CBI director Alok Verma is a direct condemnation of the PM.

Meanwhile, the Congress party also said that it hails the Supreme Court's decision lambasting the government against their unlawful elimination of Alok Verma as CBI Director.

Last month, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre and the CVC what was the "grave exigency" that encouraged the "overnight" decision to divest Alok Verma of his powers as the CBI Director over his bitter feud with Special Director and number 2 of the premier investigation agency, Rakesh Asthana.

 In a first such case in the history of the Central Bureau of Investigation, the two top bosses, Alok Verma, and Rakesh Asthana were "divested of all powers" and sent on leave as a sour spat between them intensify on October 24. The government had appointed Nageshwar Rao as the temporary CBI director. Now the Supreme Court has also set aside the appointment of Nageswara Rao as the temporary CBI chief.