New Delhi: Supreme Court Judge Justice N V Ramana today recused himself from hearing a plea challenging the Centre’s decision to appoint M Nageswara Rao as interim CBI Director.
Justice Ramana became the third judge of the apex court to recuse himself from hearing the matter as Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and the second senior-most judge in the court Justice A K Sikri had earlier recused themselves from adjudicating the case.
NGO Common Cause has approached the top court challenging the Centre’s decision to appoint Rao as the interim CBI director.
While recusing himself from hearing the matter, Justice Ramana said Rao is from his home State and he had attended the wedding ceremony of Rao’s daughter.
Justice Ramana referred the matter to the CJI to list it before an appropriate bench. 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 10 January, had not given any specific reason for withdrawing from hearing the case.
CJI Gogoi had recused himself from hearing the plea, saying he would be a part of the selection committee to choose the probe agency’s new chief.