Mallikarjun Kharge moves Supreme Court against removal of CBI chief

Verma was recently divested of all powers by the government in a midnight order.

“The act is, completely illegal, arbitrary, punitive, without jurisdiction”, Kharge, who is the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

“The tenure and term of the CBI director is protected and even the process of transfer cannot be effected without the previous consent of the Committee,” he said.

Amid internal fight between  CBI director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana, the government last month appointed  M Nageshwar Rao as interim chief of the probe agency, media reports said.

Verma and Asthana were sent to leave. 

Media reports report said the dispute between CBI chief Alok Verma and his number two Rakesh Asthana "has escalated with the agency filing a bribery case against the latter."

Asthana has in a written statement to the government said a "false FIR (First Information Report)" has been lodged against him", NDTV earlier reported.

Asthana has been named by Satish Sana, a Hyderabad businessman, who was being investigated in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, arrested in a money laundering case, the report said.

Sana claimed he had to cough up a bribe of Rs. two crores to Rakesh Asthana over a period of over 10-months so that he is not named in the CBI case against Moin Qureshi.

However, Asthana rubbished the charges saying it was hurled against him owing to a conspiracy between the accuser and some CBI and Enforcement Directorate officers.

Keywords;