Alok Verma shunted out of CBI

Alok Verma was shunted out as the CBI chief after a marathon meeting of the high-powered selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday, officials said.

Verma, a 1979-batch AGMUT-cadre IPS officer, has been removed from the high-profile post on the charges of corruption and dereliction of duty, making him the first chief in the history of the agency to face such action, they said.

His future assignment is yet to be decided, they said.

There were eight counts of charges against him in the CVC report presented before the Committee also comprising Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Justice A K Sikri, appointed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi as his nominee.

The decision was taken by a majority with Kharge opposing the move, they said.

Verma was sent on forced leave by the government in a late-night controversial order on October 23, 2018 in the wake of a feud between him and his deputy Special Director Rakesh Asthana.

He had challenged the order in the Supreme Court which had quashed the government order Tuesday.

The apex court had set aside Verma's forced leave but restrained him from taking any major policy decision till the CVC probe into corruption charges against him was over.

The apex court had said any further decision against Verma, who was scheduled to retire on January 31, would be taken by the high-powered committee which selects and appoints the CBI director.

The Supreme Court in the Vineet Narayan judgment had fixed a minimum tenure of two years for the CBI director to give him immunity from any political interference. Later, through the Lokpal Act, the process of selecting the CBI director was handed over to a selection committee.