New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday commenced hearing on CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma's plea against government's decision to divest him of duties and send him on leave. Fali S Nariman appearing for Verma in the court pointed out that the Selection Committee’s consent was not taken before sending him on leave. "The government or the CVC cannot send the Director on leave or transfer without taking the approval of the Committee.  What happens to the autonomy and independence of CBI," Nariman asked. To which Justice KM Joseph retorted: "Suppose a CBI chief is caught red-handed taking a bribe, what should be the next course of action? Your saying the Committee needs to be approached but should he continue even for a minute?"

Nariman is advancing arguments before a bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph which had on November 20 expressed deep anguish over the purported leak of the CBI director's response to the CVC's findings against him.

The bench was also irked over the publication of allegations levelled by agency's DIG Manoj Kumar Sinha in his separate plea.



At the outset, Nariman said the court cannot prohibit publication of the content of the petition as Article 19 of the Constitution is paramount and added, "If I file something tomorrow in the Registry then it can be published."

He also referred to the apex court's 2012 judgement in a case on the issue.

He added that if the apex court later  prohibits then the matter cannot be published.

(With additional information from PTI)