Alok Verma, who has been uninvolved from the post of CBI director abruptly by a high-powered selection committee, has claimed that he was transferred on the basis of "false, unconfirmed and perky allegations" made by only one person who was unfavorable to him.
The high-powered group headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed Verma from the post on Thursday on charges of dishonesty and negligence of duty.
Breaking his silence over the issue, Verma, in a statement said the CBI being a prime investigate agency dealing in dishonesty in high public places is an organization whose dominion should be potted and protected.
"It must function without external influences. I have tried to uphold the integrity of the institution while attempts were being made to destroy it. The same can be seen from the orders of the central government and the CVC dated October 23, 2018, which were without authority and were set aside," he said.
Verma termed it "sad" that he was transferred to another post pursuant to the orders of the commission on the basis of "false, unsubstantiated and frivolous allegation made by only one person, who was inimical to him".
The 1979-batch IPS officer has been posted as the Director-General Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, under the Union Home Ministry. The accuse of the CBI has been given to Additional Director M Nageshwar Rao, said a government order issued on Thursday evening.
Headed by the prime minister, the high-powered committee comprised Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Justice A K Sikri, appointed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi as his candidate.
Verma said the committee was assigned the task of deciding his future course of action as the director of the CBI.
"I have stood up for the honesty of the organization, and if asked will do it again in order to uphold the rule of law," he said.
Verma had resumed duty as CBI director on Wednesday; a day after the apex court cemented his return with some riders and asked the three-member panel that selects the CBI chief to decide on his continuation in a week in the light of charges against him in the report of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
Verma's two-year tenure as director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was due to end on January 31.
According to officials, there were eight charges against Verma in the CVC report obtainable before the panel which included supposed attempts to induct tainted officers, compromising search in the case related to contentious meat exporter Moin Qureshi, IRCTC scam among others.
Special Director Rakesh Asthana, with whom Verma had a public feud, had given a complaint against him to the cupboard Secretary in August which was referred to the CVC.
The CVC report spoke about the contentious meat exporter Moin Qureshi's case and claimed that the CBI team looking into it wanted to make Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana an accused but Verma never gave authorization, officials said.
The probe, in this case, was led by Asthana.
Asthana was later booked by the CBI on the basis of a magisterial statement recorded by Sana who had claimed that two businessman brothers had sought bribe of Rs 5 crore from him to get relief to him in a case against him using their contacts with the special director.
