Government cannot remove Alok Verma without hearing him

Subramnaian Swamy

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramnaian Swamy on Thursday said the government cannot remove CBI Director Alok Verma on the basis of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) report without hearing him and felt if he is removed the problem would only "get worse, not better". "They cannot remove Verma on the basis of the CVC report without hearing him," he told reporters outside the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) headquarters after meeting Verma.

He was replying to a question about what would be the outcome of the high-level committee comprising the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CJI nominee Justice A.K. Sikri and Leader of the single largest party in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjuna Kharge, which is slated to meet again later in the day to decide Verma's fate.

"CVC's report based on what... on another officer (Special Director Rakesh Asthana) who gave a false report... so it has to be investigated and I think it cannot be done," he said. He said that if Verma is removed then "the problem will only get worse not better".

"And I would like the Prime Minister to take steps that this step becomes history and not to listen to bogus legal brains in his government who have given wrong advice and landed us in this kind of situation. That's why the Supreme Court has to teach us the law," he added.

His remarks came a day after the High Power Committee met at the residence of Prime Minister on Wednesday evening to decide Verma's fate.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reinstated Verma as the agency chief, setting aside the CVC and the Centre's decision to divest him of his powers to function as its head but with a caveat that he will not take any policy decision till a high-level committee goes into the issue afresh within a week.

Verma rejoined the office almost two-and-a-half-months after he was divested of his powers on the intervening night of October 23-24. Verma revoked most of the transfer orders issued by agency's interim chief, M. Nageswara Rao.

Earlier, Swamy met Verma to request him to speed up the probe in the Rs 3,500 crore Aircel Maxis deal case.

The CBI and the ED are investigating how Karti Chidambaram allegedly managed to get clearance from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) in the Aircel Maxis deal when his father P Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister in 2006.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever