CJI recuses from plea on CBI chief

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 21

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi today recused from hearing a PIL challenging the Centre’s order appointing M Nageswara Rao as interim Director of the CBI, saying he was to take part in a meeting on January 24 for selection of a new CBI Director.

Headed by the Prime Minister, the selection committee includes the CJI and the leader of the largest Opposition party in the Lok Sabha.

“Let it be posted before another Bench,” said the CJI, refusing to take up the PIL.

The CBI Director’s post fell vacant after the removal of Alok Verma on January 10.

The PIL filed by Common Cause, an NGO, is likely to be taken up by a Bench headed by Justice AK Sikri — the seniormost judge after the CJI — on Wednesday. It was Justice Sikri who represented the CJI in the January 10 meeting of the high-powered committee that decided to remove Verma. Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had given a dissent note. Verma had later resigned.

Common Cause had on January 14 challenged the Centre’s decision to re-appoint CBI Additional Director M Nageswara Rao as interim Director, mainly on the ground that there was no provision for an interim Director in the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.

Rao was made interim Director on October 23 after the then Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana were sent on leave. But the SC had quashed the government notification.

DSP Bassi moves SC 

New Delhi: CBI DSP AK Bassi moved the top court on Monday, challenging the January 11 order of the interim Director transferring him back to Port Blair by reversing Alok Verma’s order that brought Bassi to Delhi. Bassi, the investigating officer in a corruption case against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, said he was being “victimised by Rao as certain elements didn’t want him to conduct a free and fair probe in Asthana case”. TNS