CBI vs CBI: SC commences hearing on Alok Verma's plea, Justice Nariman irked over the publishing of allegations

The bench is also likely to consider the report of acting CBI Director M Nageswara Rao also filed in a sealed cover in the court with regard to the decisions taken by him from October 23-26.

Former CBI director Alok Verma (File | PTI)

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday commenced hearing on CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma's plea against government's decision to divest him of duties and send him on leave.

Senior advocate Fali S Nariman, appearing for Verma, is advancing arguments before a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph which had on November 20 expressed deep anguish over the purported leak of the CBI director's response to the CVC's findings against him.

The bench was also irked over the publication of allegations levelled by agency's DIG Manoj Kumar Sinha in his separate plea.

At the outset, Nariman said the court cannot prohibit publication of the content of the petition as Article 19 of the Constitution is paramount and added, "If I file something tomorrow in the Registry then it can be published."

He also referred to the apex court's 2012 judgement in a case on the issue. He added that if the apex court later prohibits then the matter cannot be published.