NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is all set to hear on Monday the case pertaining to CBI director Alok Kumar Verma, who was sent on leave by the Centre following a pending inquiry against him.
A two-judge bench of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul will hear the version of the Central Vigilance Commission, which was directed to complete its inquiry within two weeks against Verma.
During the past week, Verma appeared before a CVC three-member panel and presented the facts to all the allegations levelled against him by his deputy and Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana. Verma is understood to have denied all allegations against him.
Last month, the top court had appointed former SC judge A K Patnaik to supervise the ongoing CVC inquiry against Verma. It had barred IPS officer M Nageswara Rao, who was given interim charge of the CBI, from taking any major decision.
The apex court will also peruse the decisions taken by Rao from October 23, including transfer of investigations and change of investigating officers, and may pass some appropriate orders.
The SC is also seized of the PIL filed by NGO 'Common Cause', which sought a probe by a special investigation team against CBI officers including Asthana. It had issued notices to the Centre, the CBI, the CVC, Asthana, Verma and Rao, asking them to respond by November 12.
Appearing for Verma, senior advocate Fali S Nariman cited the 1997 Vineet Narain judgement and said the CBI director was appointed for a two-year tenure with the approval of a selection panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.
Asthana has also submitted a separate petition and sought removal of Verma from the post of CBI Director. The petition hasn't come up for hearing, so far.