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Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 12
The Supreme Court on Monday deferred hearing on CBI Director Alok Verma’s petition against the Centre’s decision to send him on leave in view of delayed filing of preliminary report by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) of its inquiry into allegations against him.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul — which took the report filed in a sealed cover on record — took exception to the CVC’s delayed filing of inquiry report. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CVC apologised to the Bench for the delay.
As ordered by it on October 26, CBI Interim Director M Nageswara Rao too filed a report regarding decisions taken by him between October 23 and 26, including transfers ordered by him. The Bench posted the matter for further hearing on November 16 when it will consider the reports filed by the CVC and Rao.
At the outset, Mehta requested the Bench to take up the matter sometime next week in view of CVC’s inability to file the report on time. “The exercise was over on the 10th (November). We wanted to file it yesterday… we were given time till 11.30 but we were late by one hour…,” Mehta said.
But the CJI was not convinced. “The office was kept open on a Sunday till 12.30. You did not even send a message that you may be delayed? All our registrars were sitting here,” Justice Gogoi commented. “I am not complaining, only explaining why we cannot assist Your Lordships today,” said Mehta.
“It is surprising that they could open the offices till 2 am to pass the orders (of sending Verma on leave) but could not file the report,” said senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing Common Cause.
The top court, which had on October 26 asked the CVC to complete its inquiry supervised by former Supreme Court judge AK Patnaik in two weeks, will now take up the matter on Friday. The CVC is looking into allegations made in the August 24 note/letter of the Cabinet Secretary against Verma.
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