Alok Verma resumes office after 77-day forced leave

New Delhi, Jan 9 CBI Director Alok Verma joined office Wednesday, 77 days after he was sent on constrained leave by the central government through a much-reprimanded late-night order on October 23, 2018, which was put aside by the Supreme Court.

The October order sent Verma and his deputy Special Director Rakesh Asthana, booked by the agency on corruption charges, into exile in a first-of-its-kind move by the government in the agency's history.

In sending Verma on leave, the legislature neglected the immunity given to the CBI chief by the Supreme Court guaranteeing a two-year least residency to shield the officeholder from any political obstruction.

The government tried to justify its decision, saying it ended up vital in the midst of an unprecedented feud between the two senior-most authorities of the agency who had levelled charges of corruption on each other, an argument rejected by the apex court Tuesday.

The legislature had offered charge to then Joint Director M Nageswara Rao who was later advanced as additional director in the agency.

Verma had challenged the move in the Supreme Court which clipped the powers of Rao as director in-charge and barred him from taking any real strategy choice till a last request originates from it.

In its order Tuesday, the Supreme Court put aside Verma's constrained leave however controlled him from taking any real arrangement choice till the CVC probe into corruption charges against him is finished.

In the absence of any clear definition of "major policy" decisions, the grey area exists about what extent Verma's powers will be limited.

The apex court said any further decision against Verma, who resigns on January 31, would be taken by the powerful advisory group which selects and appoints the CBI director.

The Supreme Court in Vineet Narayan judgement had settled a base residency of two years for the CBI chief to give him resistance from any political obstruction. Afterward, through Lokpal Act, the way toward choosing the CBI executive was given over to a choice board of trustees.

The selection committee comprises the PM, the leader of opposition and the chief justice of India.