Four Issues Kharge Listed In Dissent Note On Alok Verma’s Ouster

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge filed a dissent note after Alok Verma was ousted as the CBI director by a PM Modi-led committee

(Photo: The Quint)

The entire exercise of Alok Verma’s removal as the CBI Director was “a pre-meditated decision...with reasons and processes being manufactured as an afterthought,” Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said in his dissent note at the meeting of the High-Power Committee which ousted Verma from his post on Thursday, 10 January, just a day after Verma resumed office.

The committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also comprised of Justice AK Sikri, who was nominated as his representative in the committee by CJI Ranjan Gogoi.

After the meeting, Kharge said the outcome of the meeting was “pre-decided”. “PM Modi and Justice Sikri were hell bent on going by the Central Vigilance Committee’s (CVC) report and no fresh material was presented at the meeting,” India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai quoted Kharge as saying.

In his note, Kharge raised four issues which he said the committee needs to decide on.

Here are the issues Kharge mentioned:

Restoring the Full Extent and Authority of Powers to Alok Verma

Kharge pointed out that the Supreme Court has stated that the order passed by the Central Vigilance Commission on 23 October 2018 was illegal and without authority.

Making a case out of this, Kharge said there can be “no alternative” than to restore Verma as the CBI chief to ensure “independence and neutrality” of the agency.

Restoring Verma's Complete Tenure That He Has Been Deprived Of

Kharge said that as the SC has found the CVC and DoPT’s orders void and illegal, it would be “in the interests of justice, equity and good conscience” that Verma’s service is extended to two years.

Kharge also said it would be unfair not to compensate Verma by extending his term by 77 days that he lost due to illegal orders

Lack of Substantial Findings Against Verma in CVC Report

Charting out the allegations against Verma case-by-case, Kharge said that out of the 10 charges levelled in the CVC report, Verma got a clean chit in 6 – in two cases allegations were found to be correct and in remaining two allegations were found to be partially correct.

He also said that while the allegations need to be investigated further, the CVC itself has stated it would be wrong to suggest that they are at par with the very serious allegations levelled against his deputy Rakesh Asthana.

Investigation Into Events of Early Hours of 23 October, 2018

Kharge listed out an entire series of events which took place on the night of 23 October, 2018 and eventually led to Verma’s removal from his post.

Kharge claimed that on 23 October, the Central Vigilance Commissioner KV Chowdary had cancelled his Denmark tour to hold a meeting. Around midnight, the Delhi Police Commissioner received instruction from the office of National Security Advisor (NSA) to take over CBI headquarters, following which, Secretary (Personnel) C Chandramouli received the order of Verma’s removal from CVC, who then rushed to the PMO, where the order was approved.

He adds that around 2.30 AM that day, CVC and Additional Secretary of DoPT, Lok Ranjan “visited the CBI headquarters and came out along with Joint Director M Nageswar Rao with some files and records.”

Kharge said that the committee must order an independent investigation into the veracity of these facts. He said, “if these facts are carried, it would establish conspiracy at highest levels.”