The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre why it had not appointed a regular CBI director and said it was "averse" to the appointment of an interim chief for the agency for a long period.
A bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and Naveen Sinha said the post of CBI director was sensitive and the government should have appointed a regular director by now. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal told the Supreme Court that a high-powered committee headed by the prime minister will hold a meeting on Friday to select a new CBI director.
He also told the Supreme Court that the Centre had taken the approval of the high-powered committee before appointing IPS officer M. Nageswara Rao as the interim CBI director.
Taking account of the attorney general's submissions that the committee will hold a meeting on Friday, the Supreme Court posted the matter for hearing on February 6.
The bench was hearing a petition of NGO Common Cause challenging the appointment of Rao as interim CBI director.
SC seeks CBI response on Bassi's plea
The Supreme Court on Friday sought a response from the CBI on a plea of its Deputy Superintendent of Police A.K. Bassi, challenging his transfer to Port Blair.
A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued a notice to the agency and sought its response in six weeks.
Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Bassi, said this is the case that raises questions on the governance of the CBI. He said this matter will also affect the purity of investigation.
On January 21, Bassi had moved the Supreme Court challenging his transfer, saying it was vitiated by mala fide and would prejudice the probe against former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana.
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He challenged the transfer order issued on January 11. It is violative of the directions issued by the Supreme Court in its judgement on the plea of the former CBI director Alok Kumar Verma, Bassi had said.
Bassi, who was the investigating officer in the corruption case against Asthana, had said he is being "victimised by the present interim CBI Director—M. Nageswara Rao, who represents certain elements within the CBI, who did not want the petitioner herein to conduct a free and fair investigation in the Asthana FIR".
He had said it was Rao, who had passed the order dated October 24, 2018, transferring him to Port Blair and it is the same person at whose behest he is being sent to Andaman and Nicobar Islands again in utter disregard to the judgement of the Supreme Court in the case of former CBI director Alok Verma.
