Bihar Home shelter case: SC holds Ex-Interim-CBI Dir Nageshwar Rao guilty of Contempt of court

Rao also tendered an unqualified and unconditional apology in Supreme Court, but the same was turned down by the court.

New Delhi: In a major jolt to former CBI Director Nageshwar Rao, The apex court on Tuesday held him guilty of contempt of court and slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on him for transfer of CBI officer AK Sharma probing Bihar Home Shelter case. The court has also ordered Rao to “Sit in one corner of the court room till court rises”. Speaking on the same court said “Nageshwar Rao was aware of apex court directions that CBI officer cannot be transferred without its consent”. “His attitude has been, I have done what I had to do” court said. Rao also tendered an unqualified and unconditional apology in Supreme Court, but the same was turned down by the court. “I sincerely realise my mistake, and while tendering my unqualified and unconditional apology specifically, I state that I have wilfully not violated the orders of this Hon’ble Court, as I cannot even dream of violating or circumventing the orders of this Hon’ble Court,” stated Rao’s affidavit, filed in terms of the court order last week. On February 7, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi came down heavily on Rao as well as the in-charge of the Director of Prosecution in transferring AK Sharma despite there being two categorical orders by the Supreme court prohibiting the transfer of Sharma without the court’s permission.

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi says 'for contempt of court we impose a fine of Rs 1 lakh and direct him(former CBI interim director M Nageshwar Rao) to sit in one corner of the court till the court rises for the day' #MuzaffarpurShelterHome https://t.co/Xzr7kcBYd8

— ANI (@ANI) February 12, 2019

On February 7, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi had come down heavily on Rao as well as the in-charge of the Director of Prosecution in transferring Sharma despite there being two categorical orders by the apex court prohibiting the transfer of Sharma without the court’s permission. Sharma was shifted out as part of the overnight mass transfer that followed the  feud between the agency's former top bosses Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana.