Prashant Bhushan Who Opposed CBI Chief Alok Verma’s Appointment, Now To Challenge His Removal In SC

Lawyer Prashant Bhushan has announced that he would legally challenge the Central government’s order to send the CBI Director Alok Verma on leave, India Today has reported.

Incidentally, Bhushan also took to Twitter to call Verma’s removal as “totally illegal”.

Bhushan was quoted as saying, “Sacking and removal of CBI director is totally illegal. We will challenge it soon in Supreme Court. He has a fixed tenure and only the same committee that appointed him could remove him prematurely, if any disciplinary issues are found. The committee was to ensure that the position stays away from government powers”.

It was reported earlier that the Narendra Modi government had put a stop to the feud between CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana by ordering them both to go on leave. Joint director Nageshwara Rao has been appointed as the interim chief.

Such support by Bhushan might be considered paradoxical by many as the lawyer had gone to the Supreme Court against Verma’s appointment as CBI chief earlier.

As reported by Press Trust of India in 2017, Bhushan while representing an NGO that had demanded that the minutes of the meeting be disclosed where the decision was taken to appoint Verma as the CBI chief.

Bhushan reportedly wanted access to determine whether Verma’s appointment was made as per law and procedures laid down by the Supreme Court.

The apex court had eventually refused to interfere into the matter and questioned why was Bhushan pushing for something which was over.

Incidentally, prior to his appointment, Verma’s name was opposed by Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, who was part of the select committee constituted for the appointment.

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