Supreme Court issues notice to CBI, Nageswara Rao over DSP Bassi's plea challenging transfer

Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation Agency (CBI) and interim Director M Nageswara Rao after hearing a petition filed by DSP AK Bassi challenging the Centre's order to transfer him to Port Blair. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna also sought a response from the Centre on Bassi's plea in six weeks.

"Supreme Court has issued notice to the CBI and interim Director M Nageswara Rao after hearing a petition filed by DSP AK Bassi challenging the Centre's order to transfer him to Port Blair," the news agency ANI reported.

Supreme Court has issued notice to the CBI and interim Director M Nageshwar Rao after hearing a petition filed by DSP AK Bassi challenging the Centre's order to transfer him to Port Blair. pic.twitter.com/eggWEDpYqp

— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2019

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who appeared for DSP Bassi arugued that this is the case which raises question on the governance of the Central Bureau of Investigation. He said this matter will also affect the purity of investigation.

On January 21, Bassi had moved the Supreme Court challenging his transfer, saying it was vitiated by mala fide and would prejudice the probe against former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana.

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Bassi has challenged the transfer order issued on January 11. It is violative of the directions issued by the top court in its judgment on the plea of the former CBI director Alok Kumar Verma, Bassi had said.

Later in the day, hearing another petition filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the appointment of Rao, the top court expressed displeasure at non-appointment of a regular CBI director. 

A bench comprising justices Arun Mishra and Naveen Sinha said the post of CBI director was sensitive and it was "averse" to the appointment of an interim chief for the agency for a long period.

To this, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court that a high-powered committee, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will hold a meeting on Friday to select a new CBI director. In the view that the committee will hold a meeting on Friday, the top court has listed the matter for further hearing on February 6.

(With inputs from agencies)