CBI vs CBI LIVE UPDATES: SC to hear Alok Verma’s plea against removal, Rahul to protest in capital

The Supreme Court Friday will hear Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma’s plea, challenging the Centre’s decision to divest him of his powers and send him on leave in view of the internal feud between him and Special Director Rakesh Asthana. The government, in a midnight move, appointed N Nageshwar Rao as interim director. The Congress, meanwhile, will stage an agitation outside the agency’s headquarters against the government’s move at 11 am, and it will be lead by party president Rahul Gandhi who hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Besides Verma’s plea, the apex court will also hear a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Common Cause, which has sought quashing of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) order of October 23, which it said “illegally divested” Verma of his work for “malafide reasons”.

Both Verma and Asthana — CBI’s warring No 1 and No 2 — were sent on leave and their offices were sealed on Tuesday after the duo accused each other of corruption. On Thursday, the investigative agency, however, clarified that Verma and Asthana will remain as Director and Special Director respectively.

With the row escalating further, the Opposition has cornered the NDA government over the issue of independence of public institutions and has also questioned its move to send Verma on forced leave, divesting him of his powers. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi alleged that the move was a “panic reaction” by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who knew that he would be “finished” if the CBI began an inquiry into the Rafale fighter jet deal. He said the decision to remove Verma and appoint M Nageshwar Rao as CBI Interim Director was “illegal” and “criminal”. Without naming Rao, Gandhi said, “The charge has been given to an individual who has cases against him…so that the Prime Minister can control him. The PM has made a corrupt officer in charge (of CBI) so that an inquiry into Rafale does not take place.”

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, on the other hand, wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questioned the removal of CBI Director Alok Verma. In a three-page letter to the PM, Kharge, the leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, argued that neither the central government has the authority to remove the CBI director nor the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has the right to recommend one. Verma and CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana were sent on leave on Tuesday night.