At the outset, the alleged leak of Verma’s confidential response to the CVC’s findings on corruption charges against him irked the top court, which said none of “you deserve any hearing”.
On the leak of Verma’s confidential reply in the media, the bench, without divulging the name of the “WIRE ” news portal, which allegedly carried a story on the CBI director’s response, handed over to Nariman a copy of the news report.
“It is only for you Mr Nariman and not as a counsel for Alok Verma. We have given this to you as you are one of the most respected and senior member of the institution. Please help us,” the bench told Nariman.
Nariman, after going through the news report, said
it was totally “unauthorised” and he was very “disturbed and shocked” by it.
The chief justice then told Nariman that Shankaranarayanan, who is also representing Verma, had on Monday mentioned the matter before the court and sought more time to file a reply on behalf of the CBI director.
“Nobody had asked him (Shankaranarayanan) to do so. It was totally unauthorised. I was never informed. Nobody asked him to mention the matter. I am very disturbed,” Nariman told the bench, adding that he and his junior had worked late in the night to prepare Verma’s response.
Referring to the media report, Nariman said, “This gives a new twist to the word responsible press and freedom of press”, and added that the news portal and its journalists concerned be summoned by the court.
“How can this come? It’s a leak. I myself is shattered the way it has been done,” he said.
The CJI then adjourned the hearing to November 29 and said the bench does not want to record any reasons for it and observed ,”We don’t think any of you deserve any hearing”.
The bench, while adjourning the hearing to November 29, then took umbrage of various media reports based on the petition filed by Sinha levelling allegations against various top functionaries.
“Yesterday, we had refused the mentioning (seeking urgent listing of Sinha’s plea against his transfer to Nagpur) and we had expressed that highest degree of confidentiality was to be maintained.
“But here is a litigant who mentions it before us and then goes out to distribute the petition to everyone,” the CJI said referring to the purported wild allegations of Sinha which have been published in the media.
“Our efforts to maintain the respect the respect of this institution is not shared by these people. They are giving it to everybody,” the CJI said.
Sinha on Monday dragged the names of NSA Ajit Doval, Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC K V Chowdhury over alleged attempts to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who has been divested of his duties and sent on leave along with his boss.
