Supreme Court to hear plea of Alok Verma as CVC turns in preliminary CBI probe findings: LIVE UPDATES

Update at 11:47 AM:

Three copies in a sealed cover handed over to the Supreme Court bench by Tushar Mehta.

'Report on the inquiry against Alok Verma submitted. The report of the acting director regarding the decisions taken by him also submitted. Both reports taken on record' - CJI

Matter to be taken up on Friday.

Hearing concludes.

Additional update: Application filed by officer investigating Rakesh Asthana. Applicant is being represented by Kapil Sibal and Rajeev Dhawan and objects to the order transferring him to Port Blair. Supreme Court says will hear him on Friday

Update at 11:40 AM:

Hearing begins

SG Tushar Mehta representing CVC says inquiry in the matter was over on November 10. Adds that all details have been shared with Justice Patnaik

Tushar Mehta says CVC wanted to file the report yesterday to give time to the Supreme Court to go through it before the hearing but they were late and the registry had closed

Update at 10:38 AM: 

As per sources CBI will submit two reports before the Supreme Court.

-> One sealed report will include all the decisions taken by the CBI from the time Nageshwar Rao was appointed as interim director till October 26 

-> The other report will include decision and action taken by CBI till date

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The Supreme Court will on Monday hear the plea of CBI Director Alok Verma against his being divested his duties following the Central Vigilance Commission's (CVC's) recommendation over the allegations of corruption he and CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana has levelled against each other.

A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice SK Kaul will hear the plea, after the CVC submits the report of its preliminary inquiry, which it was directed to complete within two weeks. The decision that a smaller bench would hear the case has come after the CJI, in a recent informal interaction with journalists, said that on Mondays and Fridays, when the apex court hears miscellaneous cases, only two-judge benches would sit.

As per sources, Verma has given a point-wise refusal to the allegations levelled against him by Rakesh Asthana. While seeking a probe, the Supreme Court had also barred interim CBI Director M Nageshwar Rao from taking major decisions, and on Monday, it will also pass orders on decisions taken by him with regard to transfer of investigations, changes in investigation officer, and more, which it is to receive in a sealed cover on Monday.

There is also the matter of a PIL filed by Prashant Bhushan's NGO Common Cause which had sought a SIT probe against both Verma and Asthana, over which the Supreme Court had issued notices to the Centre, CBI, CVC, Asthana, Verma and Rao seeking their response by November 12.

In a separate petition, Rakesh Asthana has also moved the Supreme Court with a separate petition, seeking the removal of Verma from the post of CBI Director. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta is likely to appear for the CVC, Mukul Rohatgi for Rakesh Asthana and Fali Nariman for Alok Verma.

It was on October 23 that the government had sent both Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana, the CBI's number 1 and number 2 respectively, on leave, following the CVC's recommendations after they had each accused the other of corruption. By that time the CBI had even initiated a case against Rakesh Asthana over the allegations levelled against him.