Verma calls it quits

​New Delhi: Barely a day after being sacked from the post of CBI director unceremoniously by a selection panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Alok Verma resigned from the Indian Police Service on Friday. In a letter to DoPT Secretary Chandramouli, Verma said, “The selection committee has not provided the undersigned an opportunity to explain the details as recorded by the CVC before arriving at the decision. 

“Natural justice was scuttled, and the entire process was turned upside down in ensuring that the undersigned is removed from the post of the Director CBI.” The former CBI director said that he “would have already superannuated as on July 31, 2017” and “has already crossed his superannuation age for DG, Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards. Accordingly, he may be deemed as superannuated with effect from Friday.”

“BJP Headed by the Prime Minister, the high-powered committee comprised Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Justice A K Sikri, appointed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi as his nominee. Lashing out against the decision, the former CBI chief said that he was transferred on the basis of "false, unsubstantiated and frivolous allegations". 

A 1979-batch IPS officer, Verma had resumed duty as CBI director on Wednesday, a day after the apex court paved his return with some riders and asked the three-member panel that selects the CBI chief to decide on his continuance in a week in the light of charges against him in the report of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). According to officials, there were eight charges against Verma in the CVC report presented before the panel which included alleged attempts to induct tainted officers, compromising probe in the case related to controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi, IRCTC scam among others.

Verma’s letter further states, “the decisions made on Thursday will not just be a reflection on my functioning but will become a testimony on how the CBI as an institution will be treated by any government through the CVC, who is appointed by majority members of the ruling government. This is a moment for collective introspection, to state the least,” he said. 

The charge of the CBI has been given to Additional Director M Nageshwar Rao, said a government order issued on Thursday evening.