Justice Ramana 3rd SC judge to recuse from hearing plea against Rao's appt as interim CBI chief

Supreme Court Judge Justice N V Ramana Thursday recused himself from hearing a petition challenging the Centre's decision to appoint M Nageswara Rao as interim CBI Director saying he had attended the wedding of the IPS officer's daughter.

He became the third judge of the apex court to recuse himself from hearing the matter after Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and the second senior-most judge in the top court Justice A K Sikri. Both had recused themselves earlier from adjudicating the case.

On January 10, Rao, additional director in CBI, was made the interim chief of the agency till the appointment of a new director, after IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma was removed from the post of CBI Director by a high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The plea filed by NGO Common Cause, which has challenged Rao's appointment as interim CBI Director, came up for hearing on Thursday before a bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, M M Shantanagoudar and Indira Banerjee.

"I am recusing myself because I know him (Rao) as he is from my home state," Justice Ramana said.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the NGO, said, "Should I go to the Delhi High Court? Every judge in the Supreme Court is recusing himself from hearing the matter."
To this, Justice Ramana observed, "If the issue was not about M Nageswara Rao, I would have heard it. I had attended his (Rao) daughter's marriage. His (Rao) son-in-law is a practising advocate. I know him also."