7 - D& ( 7 7 7 VRGR '%&((!1#VCEB R BP A"'!#$#1!$"#0$"T utqBVQWBuxy( 01*$0234 201021; :2/"84 #2/'89 )2),&&53*((> 5)3 '"3&"6!*, 3(3"3")(1),83, 3 38&*,,)25),&), 05)5*22!6"(3""*'3 4,(**"&*6",3E F 8 ("/= 00) := F) 3 ) % +5.3' ! "$% !& * ! 4 - #& ! &*&R#'(#,- &.(/)#()(01#'& 00/&'2/("2,*/3( 8' ( " ) ' " # $%& 8' ! < ( ) 1 ,34(3 5 of the country,” it said. The ) internal crisis in the CBI is & he Supreme Court on unprecedented in the 55-year 8' ( TFriday asked the Central history of the country’s premier ( 0 O Vigilance Commission (CVC) probe agency. 8'( ) to complete its probe against The court made it clear the 1 Central Bureau of Investigation supervision of the probe by a (CBI) Director Alok Verma, former SC judge was a “one- ( ;/= who has been divested of time exception” given the power and sent on leave by the “peculiar facts” of the case and "8&8 >) 1 "8&8 Government, and appointed does not cast reflection on any ' 8! O 8'% Justice (retd) AK Patnaik to authority of the Government. monitor the enquiry by the “We make it clear that anti-corruption watchdog. entrustment of supervision of & 818* = :) 1 “The enquiry in respect of ongoing enquiry by the CVC to & the allegations made in the a former judge of this court is note/letter of the Cabinet a one-time exception which has ) 1 ,?! Secretary dated August 24, been felt necessary by this ) L M1 3 ( B 2018 as regards Verma shall be court in the peculiar facts of ( " # completed by the CVC within this case and should not be 7 a period of two weeks from understood to be casting any today,” the Bench noted in its reflection on any authority of ) 1 L M ) ) " order. the Government of India,” said ! /= ! " $ The SC also barred the the Bench, also comprising interim CBI Director Justices SK Kaul and KM being considered close to sions taken by him. the process of conducting Nageshwar Rao from taking Joseph. Verma. The Bench sought enquiry and keeping in view any “policy” or “any major The CVC has the authori- Also, Rao constituted a responses from the Centre and the large number of docu- decision” even as it fixed ty of superintendence over the new three-member team to the CVC on the plea of Verma, ments involved, 10 days time November 12 as the next date CBI in cases relating to the probe the FIR against Asthana who has also sought a stay on would not be sufficient to com- of hearing. Prevention of Corruption case. in order to be impartial. the Centre’s order giving inter- plete the inquiry. The Bench headed by Rao was given interim The court made it clear im charge of his post to Rao. Senior advocate Fali S Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi charge of looking after the that from now on Rao, who is However, this prayer was not Nariman, appearing for Verma, also said all the decisions taken duties of the CBI Director after a Joint Director of CBI, would raised during the hearing. said the CBI Director was by Rao from October 23 till both Verma and Asthana were only perform the routine tasks Meanwhile, Asthana also appointed for a two-year tenure October 26, including on trans- sent on leave and barred from that are essential to keep the moved the Supreme Court with the approval of a selection ,34(3 5 Lodhi Road police station. Massive protests were fer of investigations and change carrying out any supervisory CBI functional. with a separate petition in the panel comprising the Prime Delhi-type protests were reported from all States, includ- of investigating officers, be role of the agency on the mid- During the hearing, the matter challenging the Minister, the Leader of he Congress on Friday replicated in other parts of the ing large participation by party placed before it in a sealed night of October 23. court at first remarked that Government order to send Opposition and the Chief Tstaged a day-long country- country where State Congress workers in Punjab, Haryana, cover by the next date of hear- Shortly after taking charge decisions taken by Rao since him on leave and divesting him Justice of India. wide protest in front of CBI leaders led demonstrations in Karnataka, Assam, ing. The court also observed it on the intervening night of October 23 are not to be imple- of his functions. The question is whether offices across the country led by their regions against what the Maharashtra and Gujarat. did not want the CBI issue Tuesday and Wednesday earli- mented but later it ordered that Solicitor General Tushar the tenure could be breached at its party chief Rahul Gandhi Congress described as the “ille- Senior Congress leaders, before the court to linger on. er this week, Rao transferred 13 it would decide on that aspect Mehta, appearing for the CVC, any time?,” Nariman asked against the Centre’s order to gal, unconstitutional and ille- including Ashok Gehlot, “This is not in the interest officers with most of them only after perusing the deci- said the commission was under from the court. send CBI Director Alok Verma gitimate removal of the CBI Ahmed Patel, Motilal Vora, on forced leave. director by the Modi that has Veerappa Moily and Anand Congress workers led by shamed India and its premier Sharma took part in the march, ! Rahul took to the streets in investigative agency”. along with Sharad Yadav, D New Delhi’s Lodi Road area, TMC Rajya Sabha member Raja and Nadimul Haque. " 0 #& where the CBI headquarters is Nadimul Haque, CPI leader Rahul said people are on located, and demanded an and Upper House member D the streets to show the PM “the '( apology from the PM. He Raja, and Loktantrik Janata mirror of reality”. “No matter alleged that “the PM stole Dal leader Sharad Yadav too how hard the Government money from the country” and joined the Congress in the tries, it will not be able to cage P 2 )$ can run but not hide from the protest against the Modi the truth,” he tweeted. truth. Rahul courted arrest at Government’s CBI decisions. Continued on Page 4 . % ,34(3 5 ers and the bankers, the com- concerned, it is already NPA. mittee recommended that the The other two companies n a bid to save the ailing ailing power firms can be saved (Adani & Tata) are servicing ! Ipower companies, the State either by increasing the tariff or their debt but have been ""#$" Bank of India (SBI) has by asking the banks to take addressing letters that they approached the Supreme Court ‘haircut’ on the loan given by would be constrained to stop ! looking into the implementa- them to these firms. operation since they cannot " # tion of recommendation of a Sources said the Agrawal continue to run the plants at ! committee which suggested a Committee has noted that the loss,” said SBI in its affidavit to ! tariff increase or waiver of a bankers were “willing to take a the SC. % portion of the loan owed to the haircut” considering the exist- “That these issues with ,34(3 5 began after she responded to a bank by these companies. As ing scenario in the power sec- regard to the tariff have been comment by former Navy per the SBI’s affidavit, the three tor. pending for a long time and efence Ministry (MoD) Chief Admiral Arun Prakash. % &' power companies belong to It is interesting to note banks have reached a stage that Dofficial spokesperson He had re-tweeted a photo- ')()6,7 680,*4 %( ! Adani, Tata and Essar Groups tariff citing problems and that at present the SBI is facing they are facing huge risk of the Swaranshree Rajashekhar was graph showing a military flag )#$* & ' " and are operating in Gujarat change of rule in Indonesia and more than 2.3 lakh crore bad public monies advanced to the sent on indefinite leave on on the bonnet of an official car t least eight people were ( ) and owe more than 35,000 claiming that the coal import debts. In its affidavit to the power projects,” said the SBI. Friday hours after she posted a of the Internal Financial Akilled and three others *# ! O, crore to it. had become costly and this sce- Supreme Court, the SBI said This move of SBI is seen as tweet criticising the alleged Adviser to the Western seriously injured on Friday in The Supreme Court in nario must be treated as an Adani Power in Mundra owes trial balloons to know the misuse of privileges by military Command of the Army in an explosion at a firecracker April 2017 had disallowed the unforeseen. Rejecting all these them 19,127 crore and Essar mood of apex court. If the apex officials leading to an outcry Chandimandir in Haryana’s factory in Badaun, police said. -./!0 ) + power generating firms from arguments, the apex court said Power Gujarat Ltd owes 4,214 court agrees to the SBI’s prayer, among the veterans. She later Panchkula district. The officer Around 4 pm, there was an increasing their tariff and the companies must supply crore and Tata Group’s Costal many PSU banks might deleted the tweet saying “it was is a civilian and is not allowed explosion in a licensed fire- !' ( ordered them to stick to power in the tariff specified in Gujarat Power Ltd owes approach the court with simi- inadvertently done and the to use flags on his vehicle, a cracker factory in Rasulpur , promised tariff in the agree- their agreements with the 10,159 crore to them.