The government on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that a high-powered committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and the opposition leader met on Monday to zero in on who should lead the CBI.
Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi submitted before a Bench led by Justice Kurian Joseph that the minutes of the meeting are being prepared after the high-level panel considered the eligible names shortlisted for the crucial appointment. The government said matters might clear up by January 20, the next date of hearing in the SC.
The Bench was hearing a PIL petition filed by NGO Common Cause challenging the shunting out of senior IPS officer R.K. Dutta — who was overseeing probes into the 2G and coal scams — from the CBI in a “mala fide” manner to make room for the appointment of a Gujarat cadre IPS officer, Rakesh Asthana, as the interim CBI Director. In a December 16 hearing, Mr. Rohatgi was critical of the NGO’s locus standi to file a writ petition in the issue.
Mr. Rohatgi had said this was not merely a service matter, and Mr. Dutta was transferred to a “very sensitive post in the Ministry of Home Affairs”. The Attorney-General had submitted that Section 4(c) of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, dealing with procedure of appointment, extension and curtailment of services of senior officers in CBI was followed in Mr. Dutta’s case.
