CBI Director Verma, on rejoining, reinstated Gurm and Bassi on Wednesday night. (Source: PTI photo)CBI Deputy SP Devender Kumar on Thursday filed a plea before the Delhi High Court challenging CBI Director Alok Verma’s order reinstating two officers.
An internal note compiled by the CBI, which is part of Kumar’s plea, lists multiple acts of insubordination, corruption and indiscipline against the two officers — Additional SP S S Gurm and Deputy SP A K Bassi.
Both Gurm and Bassi were handling the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana and were transferred on October 23 to Jabalpur and Port Blair, respectively. CBI Director Verma, on rejoining, reinstated Gurm and Bassi on Wednesday night. While Bassi rejoined work on Thursday, Gurm was yet to report to work from Jabalpur, officials said.
The internal note stated that Bassi was on the “Watch List of CBI continuously from the year 2008 onwards except 2-3 years”.
It also claimed that at the time of investigations into a Gurgaon school murder case, probed by Bassi, it was alleged that Bassi was spreading unsubstantiated information to the media (a private news channel) to give the impression that he was being pressured to close the case. According to the note, a fact-finding inquiry committee was set up against Bassi in June 2018 for the alleged leakage of information. However, the committee is yet to submit its findings.
The note said that there were three inquiries initiated against Bassi when he was posted in SC-III branch in 2017-18 pertaining to misbehaviour with senior officers, leakage of branch information and planting false stories in the media in a case investigated by him, and eight memos were issued to him for indiscipline.
When contacted, Bassi denied the allegations. “I have no conversation (which was leaked to the media about the school case),” he said. On being asked about charges of corruption and indiscipline, Bassi said, “I have 54 commendation certificates. I am not aware of the CBI’s Watch List.”
Another note on Gurm claimed that Verma brought Gurm at a higher rank without promotion (from Additional SP to SP) despite adverse reports. It said, “Gurm was facing a preliminary inquiry on the allegations that he has unauthorised availed leaves during his posting at MDMA in Chennai and utilised this period for attending law classes and exams. After inquiry, a regular departmental action for major penalty was initiated against Gurm and CBI ordered for forfeiture of his future increment with cumulative effect for a period of one year.”
Gurm could not be reached for a comment despite several attempts. Kumar’s plea will come up for hearing on Friday.
