CBI Bribery Case: Supreme Court adjourns hearing till November 29

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hold a crucial hearing in the case pertaining to corruption allegations against the exiled Central Bureau of India (CBI) chief Alok Verma on Tuesday. ON Monday, the CBI director had filed his response to the Central Vigilance Commission’s inquiry report on corruption charges against him before the top court in a sealed cover. The court had found the CVC probe report a “mix” and said that it will give the judgment in the case after Alok Verma’s reply. The CVC report on allegations of bribery against the CBI chief is "complimentary on some charges, not so complimentary on some charges and very uncomplimentary on some charges," the court had observed during Friday's hearing and posted the matter for next hearing on November 20.

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According to reports, the CVC has not found any evidence of taking bribery against Verma during the probe but observed "administrative lapses". Both Verma and his deputy, special director Rakesh Asthana, have accused each other of taking bribery from a Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana to clear his name from the Moin Qureshi case.

The infighting in the CBI turned ugly when the agency registered an FIR against Asthana. The agency also produced Sana before magistrate court where he claimed to have paid Rs 3 crore to Asthana, a charge he denied.

Amid the controversy, the Narendra Modi government divested both the warring CBI officers on their powers and sent them on an indefinite leave. The Centre also appointed M Nageshwar Rao as interim CBI chief.

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Verma termed the government’s decision to remove him “patently illegal” and moved to the Supreme Court, which ordered the CVC to complete a preliminary inquiry into the allegations against the CBI chief in two weeks.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will also hear a petition filed by CBI officer Manish Kumar Sinha against his transfer. Sinha was investigating the allegations of bribery against Asthana but was abruptly transferred to Nagpur.

In his petition filed before the top court on Monday, Sinha claimed that National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval interfered in the probe against Asthana and even stalled the searches that were important to the inquiry. The CBI officer also told the court that a Union minister of state took "a few crores" to help a businessman under investigation.