‘No evidence of corruption against Alok Verma,’ says Justice AK Patnaik

Justice AK Patnaik, the retired Supreme Court judge who was supervising the Central Vigilance Commission’s (CVC) enquiry into former CBI Director Alok Verma, on January 11, said that there was “no evidence” of corruption against Verma, The Indian Express reported.

Patnaik also stated that the decision of a Prime Minister-led committee to sack Verma as chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was “very, very hasty”, NDTV reported. Patnaik, the Supreme Court-appointed CVC supervisor in the Verma case, was also quoted as saying, “There was no evidence against Verma regarding corruption. The entire enquiry was held on (CBI Special Director Rakesh) Asthana’s complaint. I have said in my report that none of the findings in the CVC’s report are mine.”

Of the three-member selection panel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Justice AK Sikri were against Verma’s continuance as the CBI chief, whereas Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, filed a dissent note.

Following the select committee’s verdict, Verma was transferred as Director General, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards. Refusing to take up his new job, Verma tendered his resignation.