It seems that the Lutyens’ media has now started targeting Justice A K Sikri who was a part of the PM led committee that removed Alok Verma as the CBI chief. It must be noted that Verma was not removed without any reasonable cause by a committee comprising of Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, Justice Sikri and the PM himself. The committee took a decision on the charges levied against Verma in the CVC report. In its verdict, the Supreme Court had, while reinstating Verma, recognized the gravity of the allegations against him in the CVC report. The Court had acknowledged that with regard to the CVC report, “That there were portions that were not complimentary to him.”
Citing the CVC report, the committee noted, “CVC found evidence of influencing of investigation in the Moin Qureshi case. There was also evidence of taking of bribe of Rs. 2 crore. CVC was of the view that his conduct in the case is suspicious, and there is a prima facie case against him. The CVC also felt that the entire truth will come out if a criminal investigation is ordered.” The Committee also stated that “in the IRCTC case, the CVC felt that it can be reasonably concluded that Shri Verma deliberately excluded a name from the FIR, for reasons best known to him.” The Committee also took note of other serious charges against Verma in the CVC report including “Instances of willful non-production of record, and fabrication of record” and “Attempts to induct officers of doubtful integrity in CBI.”
It is important to mention here that sources told tfipost.com that, the PM-led committee also took note of the counters put-forth by Alok Verma. Alok Verma had stated that he was not given a chance to be heard. To this, the committee noted that Verma was given an opportunity to present his case before the CVC, in presence of Retd. Justice Patnaik. Similarly, a copy of the CVC report was also provided to Alok Verma’s advocate. As such the Committee acted in a very fair way and the left-liberal cabal seems to be unnecessarily crying foul about it.
What is particularly disturbing is the fact that the news traders and the Lutyens’ journalists have now started targeting even Justice A K Sikri. The government had nominated Justice A K Sikri to the vacant post of president/member in the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal (CSAT). And the media was quick to latch on this opportunity. Later on, according to Indian Express, Justice Sikri turned down the said offer. As per the Indian Express, he is also learnt to have expressed “pain” over the way in which the London assignment is being linked with the decision of the PM led Committee regarding Alok Verma’s transfer.
The Lutyens’ media has been highly irresponsible when it comes to reporting about the transfer of CBI Chief Alok Verma and the decision taken by the PM led committee. Senior journalists have been claiming that Justice A K Patnaik had personally told them that there was no evidence against Verma regarding corruption, and the decision of a Prime Minister-led committee to oust him as chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was “very, very hasty”. Many media houses carried out the same story with the same quotes along with some bizarre commentary. After torrents of reports making the claim surfaced, retired Supreme Court judge Justice Markandey Katju decided to cross-check the claims made in these reports. In an article titled: Faltering fourth estate: Alok Verma’s removal and the shabby role of Indian media, Markandey Katju wrote that he contacted Justice Patnaik through a phone call and asked for his response on these news reports. Markandey Katju said that Justice Patnaik has permitted him to mention that no journalist bothered to take an appointment with him to discuss the matter, and only one lady journalist from Indian express had telephoned and the conversation lasted for less than a minute.
Markandey Katju thus gave the news traders a tough lesson about journalistic ethics. It is clear that the Lutyens’ media has totally been unprofessional and irresponsible in its reports about the PM led committee that decided on Alok Verma’s removal as the CBI chief. And now the narrative is being taken to another law as the news traders are not refraining from targeting even Justice A K Sikri.