CBI vs CBI LIVE updates: Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana have been stripped of their powers
Under fire from the Opposition for divesting CBI chief Alok Verma of his powers, the government in its defence said that the midnight order was necessary to maintain the “institutional integrity and credibility of India’s investigation agency.” Calling the infighting in CBI as “extraordinary,” Arun Jaitley in a press conference said the government’s order was based on the recommendations of the CVC. “The two officers cannot probe the matter against each other. In interest of fair probe and as an interim measure, both will sit out and a SIT not functioning under them will investigate the matter,” he said.
He also rejected Opposition’s criticism as “rubbish.” “The government is committed to ensure that “India’s investigation agency doesn’t become a mockery as few of the officers have made it in the last few days. If the officers are innocent, they will come back,” he said. Ravi Shankar Prasad was also present at the press brief.
Alok Verma who was “sent on leave” by the government, approached the Supreme Court, challenging the order. The matter will now be heard Friday.
M Nageshwar Rao, joint director, took charge of the agency and ordered a slew of transfers, including of those officers who were probing the alleged bribery charges against Rakesh Asthana. According to media reports, raids were also conducted at the CBI Headquarters in New Delhi this morning.
In another development the interim chief Nageshwar Rao overhauled the team probing allegations of corruption against its former Special Director Rakesh Asthana, bringing in completely new faces.
The previous investigating officer, Deputy SP A K Bassi, has been shunted to Port Blair in "public interest" with "immediate effect." Satish Dagar has been appointed as the superintendent of police to probe the case. Dagar has earlier probed cases against Dera Sachcha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Tarun Gauba, who investigated the Vyapam cases has also been added to the team. At the joint director-level, V Murugesan has been brought in. He will hold additional charge as joint director, Anti Corruption-I, in the CBI headquarters.
In another order, the CBI transferred Joint Director-Policy Arun Kumar Sharma and posted him as joint director of the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA), probing former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination case. Senior officer, A Sai Manohar, has been transferred and posted as joint director Chandigarh zone while Amit Kumar, DIG Economic Offence-III, will hold additional charge of joint director-policy.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the BJP government of burring the “last nail” into the independence of CBI. He wondered if Verma was “sacked” for his keenness to probe the “layers of corruption” in the Rafale scam and sought an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Taking to Twitter, Surjewala said, “systematic dismantling and denigrating of CBI is now complete. Once a premier investigating agency, PM ensures that CBI’s integrity, credibility & reliability is buried & dead.”
Attacking the prime minister, Surjewal said Modi has sought to achieve surreptitiously and clandestinely what he cannot do directly by sacking the CBI director”.
“PM Modi has demonstrated the true colour of his infamous ‘Modi Made Gujarat Model’ by this cloak-and-dagger mugging of CBI. Has the CBI Director been sacked for his keenness to probe the layers of corruption in Rafale Scam? Isn’t the rest a shoddy cover-up? Let PM answer!” the Congress leader said. Read more
A 1986 batch officer of the Odisha cadre, M Nageshwar Rao has served in various capacities in his cadre state before he became a joint director at CBI and was recently promoted as additional director. His last responsibility in Odisha was as additional director of railway police.
At CBI, he was No. 3 in the pecking order and handling the Chandigarh branch along with certain branches in South India. Rao hails from the Borenarsapur village in Warangal District of Andhra Pradesh. He did his post graduation from the Osmania University, following which he did his research at the IIT Madras.
* The government in a midnight order directed M Nageshwar Rao to immediately take over the responsiblities of CBI chief.
* Early morning raids at the CBI headquarters led by Rao were also reported. The office is now open, says PTI.
* Alok Verma moved the Supreme Court challenging the government's order. The matter will be heard on Friday.
* The Opposition also slammed the Modi government calling its order "illegal and unconstitutional."
* In a press briefing, Arun Jaitley defended the government's action, saying the order was passed to maintain "institutional integrity and credibility of the agency."
* The Congress, in a press conference led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi, accused the government of suffering from ‘Rafaleophobia’
"The CVC has no power in appointment and reappointment. The government is misusing the CVC. The transfer of an incompetent CBI director in an extraordinary situation should have the approval of the selection commitee, the law says," Manu Singhvi said.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi accused Modi government of violating the CBI Act. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is suffering from Rafaleophobia and Verma was forced to go on leave to control the agency," he said. He also called the move "illegal and unconstitutional."
On midnight order of the government, Jaitley said, 'The CVC met last evening. If the government acts fast, it is said why the hurry and if it is slow, it is termed as policy paralysis. The CVCs recommendation and the government's action is intended to restore the institutional integrity and credibility of CBI'
Calling the battle in CBI as an "extraordinary," Jaitley said, "It is important that the fairness of our investigation agency is maintained." He also rejected the Opposition's charge as "rubbish" and said the government is committed to ensure that "India's investigation agency doesn't become a mockery as few of the officers have made it in the last few days. If the officers are innocent, they will come back."
Requiremennt of fairness and fairplay have to be there. The government cannot investigate the cases against CBI. The CVC has all the information regarding the cases, the files exchanged. The two officers cannot probe the matter. In interest of fair probe and in an interim measure, both will sit out and a SIT not functioning under both the officers will investigate the matter: Jaitley
"CBI is India's premiere investigation agnecy and hence the maintenance of its institutional integrity is essential. This is important not only for the scandals being probed in India, but also to maintain the credible image of the agency globally. Unfortunately, the top two officers of CBI have alleged bribery cases against each other," Jaitley said when questioned about the overnight order
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala wondered if Verma was "sacked" for his keenness to probe the "layers of corruption" in the Rafale scam and sought an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Modi govt buries the 'last nail' into the independence of CBI. Systematic dismantling & denigrating of CBI is now complete. Once a premier investigating agency, PM ensures that CBI's integrity, credibility & reliability is buried & dead," Surjewala said on Twitter.
Good afternoon. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Arun Jaitley are addressing the media. They are likely to speak on the transfers in CBI