Verma’s firing too hasty, says probe judge

NEW DELHI: A retired Supreme Court judge, who was appointed by the apex court to monitor a vigilance probe against former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Alok Nath Verma, has called the iring of the top oficer a “very, very hasty” decision.

“There was no evidence of corruption againstverma,assertedjusticeakpatnaik.

Patnaik has also said “none of the indings in the CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) report are mine.” Verma was ired by a panel headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, barely 48 hours after the Supreme Court ordered his reinstatement last Monday.

Verma’s deputy Rakesh Asthana had raisedthegraftchargesagainsthissuperior. “The investigation report sent to me by the vigilancebodywaspurportedlysignedbymr Asthana, but he did not personally depose before the CVC, Patnaik said.

Interestingly, the Delhi High Court on Friday ordered Asthana’s prosecution and probe for corruption.

Verma resigned from the Indian Police Serviceafterhewastransferredasdirector General, Fire Services, Civil Defence and he refused to take up the new job. “Natural justice was scuttled and the entire process was turned upside down in ensuring that the undersigned is removed from the post of the Director,” he said.

The Congress demanded that the high-powered committee meet again and Verma be reinstated.

BJP ally Shiv Sena layed the manner in which Verma was sacked. “If the prime minister can use every platform to defend himself amid allegations over the Rafale deal then why such an opportunity was not given to the ousted CBI chief?” asked the Sena.

“Didthefearinthemindofsome(people) that many secrets would tumble out of the CBI’S closet in case of Verma heading the agency even for a day led to his immediate ouster?” The government was, however, looking for a new CBI chief. Leading the race are Mumbai Police Commissioner Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police OP Singh and National Investigation Agency chief YC Modi,oficialssaid.nationalsecurityguard (Nsg)directorgeneralsudeeplakhtakia, Bureauofpoliceresearchanddevelopment chief AP Maheshwari, Director of National Institute of Criminology and Forensic Sciences S. Javeed Ahmed, Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Rajnikant Mishra and Indo-tibetan Border Police (ITBP) chief SS Deswal are also in the race.

According to guidelines set by the Supreme Court in 2004, oficers from the four oldest serving batches of the IPS will be in contention for the top post.