Situation didn't warrant overnight action: SC on CBI boss removal
New Delhi, Dec 6 (IBNS): The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Union government why it had removed the two top CBI officers on leave with a sudden overnight order and not followed protocol, reports said.
On Wednesday, the government lawyer K.K. Venugopal had told the judges that the decision had to be taken because the two officers had been fighting for months like "Kilkenny cats", a reference to a poem where two cats fight till both die.
The court did not buy this argument and questioned the government why it had not consulted with a selection committee, the rule for any action against the CBI chief.
“This situation that prompted the Central Vigilance Commission to take the action did not happen overnight... It is not that you were forced to take decision immediately,” Hindustan Times quoted Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi as saying. “If you have two courses of action - acceptable and more acceptable – you must take the more acceptable course.”
On Wednesday, the government told the Supreme Court it had taken the decision to strip CBI chief Alok Verma of his powers "in larger public interest to ensure institutional integrity".
"The government of India was watching with amazement as to what these two officers were doing, they were fighting like Kilkenny cats... Extraordinary situation made centre act and divest Alok Verma of his powers till the Chief Vigilance Commission takes a decision," Attorney General K.K. Venugopal said.
The Supreme Court is hearing Alok Verma's petition against the government's action and his response to a vigilance report on him.
Verma's lawyer Fali Nariman has argued that the government action had no basis and that the CBI director could be removed only with the approval of a committee.
The case is revolves around Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana swapping bribe charges.
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