A Delhi-based NGO Common Cause on Thursday filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court against the Central Vigilance Commission's (CVC) orders to sack CBI Director Alok Verma. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi considered the submission of lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for NGO Common Cause, that there were wider issues of corruption affecting the probe agency and the PIL needed to be heard urgently. Bhushan, who is also part of the Governing Council of Common Cause, mentioned the petition before CJI Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday for urgent listing.
The bench, which also comprised Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph, asked Bhushan to provide details and said it would consider granting urgent hearing on the petition.
The PIL also seeks quashing of appointment of M. Nageshwar Rao as the interim director of the CBI. In addition, the petition sought removal of Rakesh Asthana from the post of special director of the CBI. Both Asthana and Verma were divested from their responsibilities in the wee hours on Wednesday.
Common Cause, an NGO "dedicated to championing public causes", in its PIL also seeks constitution of a Special Investigating Team (PIL) to investigate the allegations of corruption against the senior officials of the CBI and submit the report before the Supreme Court. On Wednesday, Verma had filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Narendra Modi government's order to sent him on leave. The plea will be taken up for hearing on Friday.
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The feud between Verma and Asthana escalated recently leading to registration of an FIR against Asthana and others including Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, who is presently in CBI's custody, in an alleged bribery case.
The FIR was lodged on a written complaint of Satish Babu Sana on October 15. It alleged that Kumar, the IO in a case, was repeatedly calling him to the CBI office to harass and compel him to pay bribe of Rs 5 crore for giving him a clean chit.
Asthana and Kumar both challenged the FIR in the Delhi High Court, which on Tuesday ordered CBI to maintain status quo on the criminal proceedings against Asthana.
The Centre, the CVC and the DoPT intervened and decided to send the CBI director and the special director on leave.
