NEW DELHI: CBI Director Alok Verma on Friday appeared before a panel headed by Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdary and sources claimed that he countered the corruption charges levelled against him by his deputy and special director in the probe agency Rakesh Asthana.
Verma is said to have given point-wise refusal to all the allegations levelled by Asthana before the panel comprising Vigilance Commissioners T M Bhasin and Sharad Kumar.
Verma reached the CVC office early Friday morning and stayed there for about an hour. He refused to give any comment to the media waiting outside the CVC’s office.
Officials claimed that Justice A K Patnaik, a retired Supreme Court judge, who has been asked by the apex court to supervise the CVC inquiry was also present.
The Supreme Court had on October 26 asked the Central Vigilance Commission to complete within two weeks its inquiry into the allegations against Verma levelled by Asthana.
The two -week time limit ends on Sunday and the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday. Feuding officers Verma and Asthana have been sent on leave by the government.
Besides Verma, Asthana also had met the CVC on Friday. He is said to have given documentary evidence in support of his charges levelled against Verma.
Officials claimed that the Commission had recently examined some CBI officials probing crucial cases which figured in Asthana’s complaint of corruption against the probe agency’s chief Verma.