NEW DELHI, Jan 10: In an unprecedented move, CBI Director Alok Verma was removed from the position today on the charges of corruption and dereliction of duties after a marathon meeting of the high-powered selection committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials said.
Verma, whose fixed tenure of two years was to end on January 31, is the first chief in the 55-years of the CBI’s history to face such action, they said.
He has been posted as Director General Fire Service, Civil Defence and Home Guards, under the Union Home Ministry. The charge of the CBI has been given to Additional Director M Nageshwar Rao, a Government order issued today evening said.
There were eight counts of charges against Verma in the CVC report presented before the Committee also comprising Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Justice A K Sikri, appointed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi as his nominee.
The eight counts of charges included alleged attempts to induct tainted officers, compromising probe in the Moin Qureshi case, IRCTC scam among others, they said.
The decision for the removal of 1979-batch IPS officer Verma was taken by a majority with Kharge opposing the move, they said.
The meeting of the committee was convened Wednesday which lasted nearly 30 minutes.
It was convened again today at the residence of Prime Minister Modi at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg at around 4.30 PM.
The meeting continued for nearly two hours with Kharge strongly arguing for giving a chance to Verma to present his case before the committee on the allegations levelled by the CVC against him.
However, the Prime Minister and Justice Sikri did not agree with his position making clear his ouster from the agency. (PTI)
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