Reinstalled and uninstalled: Where does CBI go after Alok Verma?

On Tuesday when the Supreme Court reinstated Alok Verma as the CBI director, it also directed the high-level selection committee comprising the PM, the leader of opposition and CJI to decide within a week, further course of action in view of CVC’s findings. After reviewing these, on Thursday the committee ejected him again.

In these two days the “reinstalled and uninstalled” Verma himself undertook a spate of personnel postings that are likely to be rescinded now. Today, with the Delhi high court scheduled to pronounce its verdict on a petition filed by CBI special director Rakesh Asthana and others for quashing the FIR against them in a bribery case, there will be fresh developments in the CBI vs CBI case.

Although the miasma of distrust overhanging India’s premier investigation agency is crying for a letup, that will be difficult in the middle of an all-out political war. Thursday’s high-powered committee meeting saw Mallikarjun Kharge put in a strong dissent note, recommending an extension for Verma. Of course, in 2017, Kharge had also put in a dissent note on the appointment of Verma.

Even as current mechanisms for insulating CBI from political influence clearly need substantive bolstering, in the shorter term it would help if the selection committee found a consensus candidate for the next CBI director.

Read also: PM-led selection panel removes Alok Verma as CBI chief