New Delhi: The Central Vigilance Commission has found no proof of corruption against benched CBI director Alok Verma. A report to this effect was telecast by NDTV, a day before the Supreme Court takes up the report of the CVC investigation into allegations made against Verma by his deputy Rakesh Asthana. Sources explained that while Verma has been cleared of the main allegation of bribe-taking, he has been found to have made certain “administrative lapses.”
The case will be heard by a three-judge Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and K M Joseph. The court had to put off the hearing from Monday to Friday since the CVC was a day late in submitting its inquiry report, leaving no time for the judges to study it before hearing the case. The inquiry report was handed in a sealed cover; the investigation, in turn, was monitored by a retired judge. The ousted CBI director, in turn, has sought quashing of the government orders divesting him of duties and sending him on forced leave.
Listed along with the CBI director’s petition is a petition of Common Cause filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan seeking a court-monitored probe into the CBI infights and an intervention application by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.
ASTHANA’S CASE: Meanwhile, CBI Additional Director Arun Kumar Sharma on Wednesday appeared before Delhi High Court judge Najmi Waziri, seeking permission to allow him to place before the court incriminating evidences against Asthana, who secured further stay against his arrest till November 28. The judge, however, asked Sharma to submit the information to the CBI, which is probing the bribery charges against Asthana, who is a 1984 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre.Sharma’s counsel responded that it is difficult to identify who in the CBI is probing the case and which was the real agency to be approached.