Justice Sikri denies CSAT post

Justice AK Sikri, who is the second senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, withdrew consent from the post of president/member in London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal (CSAT), the source said.

The source revealed on Sunday that Justice Sikri denied a post-retirement offer from the government and informed authorities about the same.

Recently voted to oust Alok Verma as the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Justice Sikri will retire on March 6.

The Central government in December 1st week last year had inform Justice Sikri about the CSAT vacancy and offered him the post.

The CSAT is the final arbiter of disputes between its 53 member-countries. It has eight members, including the president, selected by Commonwealth governments on a regionally representative basis from among persons of high moral character who must hold or have held high judicial office in a Commonwealth country or who are jurisconsults with at least 10 years experience.

Recently, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, who passed the order to reinstate Verma as CBI Director, had nominated Justice Sikri to the three-member high-powered panel to decide the fate of Verma.

The Selection Committee also comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge had transferred Verma from the CBI.

While Modi and Justice Sikri had same view on Verma's transfer, Kharge had dissent view.

The decision of Verma's transfer has drawn a lot of flak.

Verma has refused to take up his new posting - DG, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards.