Will wait and watch, SC says on plea challenging appointment of interim CBI chief

New Delhi, Feb 02: The Supreme Court has adjourned hearing on a petition that challenged the appointment of M Nageshwar Rao as the interim director of the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The court said that it would wait and watch what decision would be taken by the high powered that is scheduled to meet today to appoint a new CBI chief. Attorney General of India, K K Venugopal said that the committee headed by the Prime Minister would meet later today and take a decision on the appointment of a new CBI chief.

It may be recalled that earlier this week Justice N V Ramanna had recused himself from hearing this petition.

The development came a week after Justice A K Sikri had recused himself from hearing the matter. Earlier the Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi had recused himself from hearing the same case on the ground that he was part of the high powered committee that appoints a CBI chief.

Justice Sikri, who had represented CJI Gogoi on the high-powered committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that controversially removed Alok Verma as CBI director on January 10, did not give any specific reason for withdrawing from hearing the case.

"You understand my position. I can't hear this matter," Justice Sikri said.

Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, representing the petitioner NGO Common Cause, said, "It is becoming very frustrating and it is giving an impression that your lordship does not want to hear this matter. Earlier, the CJI had recused when the matter was listed for hearing. Now your lordship is also recusing from the matter".

"Court is silent. Government is silent. No body is saying anything. Where we will go. This is really frustrating," Dave said.

Justice Sikri then said, "I wish I could hear this matter".