Tuesday, November 20, 2018

‘None of You Deserves a Hearing’: SC


‘None of You Deserves a Hearing’: SC

New Delhi: Expressing anger over the ‘leak’ of CBI chief Alok Verma’s confidential response to a CVC report on corruption charges against him, the Supreme Court on Tuesday,  20th November 2018,  said none of the parties involved deserves a hearing.

The response was filed by Verma and submitted to the secretary general in a sealed cover on Monday, 19th November 2018.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph handed over to senior advocate Fali S Nariman, appearing for Verma, the copy of a report by a news portal, which has published the CBI director's response.
Nariman after going through the media report told the bench that he was "shattered" and "shocked" on Verma's reply being leaked in the media.
The senior lawyer said the news portal and its journalists concerned be summoned as the press should be free and responsible.

"We don't think any of you deserves a hearing,” the bench said and adjourned the matter for November 29.

Verma had approached the apex court challenging the Centre's decision to divest him of his duties and sending him on leave following his feud with Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana, who has levelled corruption allegations against him. Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave.

The feud turned murkier on Monday with senior CBI officer MK Sinha alleging that NSA Ajit Doval, Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC KV Chowdhury interfered in the probe against Asthana.

KV Chowdhury did not respond to queries when his reaction was sought while Doval, the National Security Advisor, was not immediately available for comments. The Union minister termed the allegations as baseless and malicious.

Sinha, who was probing the FIR against Asthana, the CBI's number 2, and important cases like the PNB scam involving Nirav Modi, made a litany of sensational allegations in his petition before the Supreme Court that sought urgent hearing for quashing his transfer to Nagpur.

Advocate Sunil Fernandes, appearing for Sinha, informed a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that his client has "got some shocking revelations" in his petition and had sought urgent listing and hearing Tuesday along with Verma’s plea.

"Nothing shocks us," the bench, also comprising Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph, said, as it ruled out urgent hearing. The court asked Fernandes to be present in the court when it hears Verma's plea.

In his 34-page petition, Sinha, a 2000 batch IPS officer from Andhra Pradesh cadre, alleged that the CBI director briefed Doval on October 17 about registration of a case against Asthana.

Sinha, while supporting the affidavit of Deputy Superintendent of Police officer AK Bassi, who has also been transferred to Andaman and Nicobar Islands involved in the bribery case (relating to Asthana) but the "Director CBI did not give immediate permission and reverted that the NSA has not permitted the same.", claimed Bassi favoured immediate search of public servants

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