New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge moved the Supreme Court on Saturday against the Centre’s decision to send CBI director Alok Verma on leave, saying it was “completely illegal and arbitrary”.
In his petition, Kharge, who is the leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha and a member of the three-member committee which picks the CBI director, said that “as a concerned stakeholder he brings to the attention of the court the brazen and illegal actions” of the political executive in interfering with the independent functioning of the CBI director.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suo motu action of sending CBI director Alok Verma on leave is illegal and is in violation of the law,” Kharge later said.
Verma and CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana were stripped of their powers and sent on leave on October 23 as the top two officers of the premier investigation agency levelled charges of corruption against each other. The government’s move came hours after the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) recommended that Verma and Asthana be sent on leave and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) be formed to probe corruption allegations against them.
Alleging interference by the Prime Minister and his office in the functioning of the CBI, he said the government should have called a meeting of the three-member of the committee before taking any decision on the matter.
