Narendra Modi-led panel shows the door to CBI chief

New Delhi: Barely two days after the Supreme Court reinstated him, Alok Verma was removed on Thursday as CBI Director by a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty, in an unprecedented action in the central probe agency's 55-year history. 

Verma, a 1979-batch IPS officer, had resumed duty on Wednesday, a day after the apex court paved his return with some riders and asked the three-member panel that selects the CBI chief to decide on his continuance 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) is due to end on January 31.

Officials said the decision to move Verma out of the CBI came after the high-powered committee met for the second time in two days here to decide his fate. Verma has been posted as Director General Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, under the Union Home Ministry.

The charge of the CBI has been given to Additional Director M Nageshwar Rao, said a government order issued on Thursday evening. There were eight charges against Verma in the CVC report presented before the Committee that also comprised Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Justice A K Sikri, appointed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi as his nominee.

The decision at the two-hour meeting of the Committee was taken by a 2 to 1 majority with Kharge opposing the move, officials said. It also came a day ahead of the verdict by the Delhi High Court on pleas by Verma's deputy Rakesh Asthana, a CBI Special Director, and others seeking quashing of the FIR against them on bribery allegations. 

Verma and Asthana had traded corruption charges and were locked in a bitter feud that led the Centre to divest them of their authority and sent them on leave on the night of October 23.

Kharge gave a dissent note and told the meeting that Verma, who was sent on forced leave, should be given a chance to present his case before the Committee on the allegations in the CVC report against him.

He also said Verma should not be penalised and be given an extension of 77 days for which he was not allowed to attend the office, according to sources. However, the prime minister and Justice Sikri disagreed with Kharge's contention paving the way for Verma's outster, the sources said. 

During the meeting, Justice Sikri said there are charges against Verma to which Kharge asked "where are the charges", according to the sources. It is for the second time in 11 weeks Nageshwar Rao was given the charge of CBI. He was first given the charge after Verma was divested of his authority and sent on leave but this order was quashed by the apex court on Tuesday.  

The Congress and noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan reacted strongly to the removal of Verma, saying he was not given a chance to present his case.  "By removing #AlokVerma from his position without giving him the chance to present his case, PM Modi has shown once again that he's too afraid of an investigation, either by an independent CBI director or by Parliament via JPC," Congress tweeted from its official Twitter handle.