CBI feud: NGO that opposed Verma's selection now backs him

NEW DELHI: The wheel of time turned full circle for NGO ‘Common Cause’ when it moved the Supreme Court on Thursday challenging the Centre’s “arbitrary” decision to divest CBI chief Alok Verma of his powers.

The NGO questioned the decision to send the CBI director on leave after a no holds barred feud with his deputy Rakesh Asthana. As it happens, the organisation founded by H D Shourie had unsuccessfully challenged Verma’s appointment in January 2017 alleging that procedures were not followed in his selection as chief of the country’s premier investigating agency.

At the time, Prashant Bhushan, who argued Common Cause’s plea, had failed to convince a bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and A M Khanwilkar that the NGO be provided with minutes of the meeting of the high-level panel comprising the PM, CJI and leader of opposition which selected Verma.

On January 20 last year, Bhushan had argued that the minutes of the meeting would show that procedure had not been followed. This, he said, was because the meeting of the selection committee was not convened in December despite the earlier CBI director, Anil Sinha, having retired on December 2, 2016. However, the bench had refused to entertain the petition.

A year and nine months later, Bhushan was again before the SC, this time before a bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi and seeking urgent listing of the PIL which supported Verma and challenged the Centre’s decision to send him on leave. The NGO’s petition is listed along with Verma’s for hearing before a bench led by the CJI on Friday. Fali Nariman will appear for Verma.