Clear decision

Sir — It is heartening that the Supreme Court has asked the Central Vigilance Commission to complete its investigation of the charges against the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation, Alok Verma, within two weeks and appointed a veteran judge to oversee the inquiry (“Compelled by ‘peculiar facts’, top court steps in and ring-fences CBI”, Oct 27). Evidence against both Verma and the special director, Rakesh Asthana, must be scrutinised carefully and without bias. It appears that while one of these officials is close to the prime minister, the other is being defended by the Opposition, which claims that Verma has been targeted because he was looking into the Rafale deal.

Until the case is resolved, the purchase of the fighter jets for the Indian defence forces remains uncertain. This could adversely affect the security of the country. It is also tarnishing the reputation of the CBI.

Benu Kumar Bose,
Calcutta

Sir — It is interesting that the controversy surrounding the two former CBI officials, Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana, began with respect to their apparent political affiliations. The Congress alleges that Verma was divested of his duties because he was close to finding the truth behind the Rafale scandal. On the other hand, Verma had apparently taken Asthana off an investigation against P. Chidambaram, the Congress parliamentarian. If the Bharatiya Janata Party really wanted to clear the air about the possible governmental influence over the functioning of the CBI, the Centre could have deputed any official other than M. Nageswara Rao to handle the position of interim chief. Rao is known to have close connections with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It is even more suspicious that one of the first tasks that he accomplished as the interim director was to transfer 13 officers, all of whom were investigating allegations of bribery and corruption against Asthana, also considered close to the prime minister.

Fortunately, the Supreme Court has taken up this case. It has stated that the interim chief cannot take policy decisions. Even the transfer orders signed by Rao will be scrutinised. The entire probe under the CVC will be supervised by the former Supreme Court judge, A.K. Patnaik. This is a relief, as it will hopefully prevent any political bias in the investigation.

Kaustuv Bose,
Calcutta

Sir — One must appreciate the decision of the apex court to set a deadline of two weeks for the CVC to complete its enquiry against Alok Verma, under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge. Once again, the top court has handled the matter efficiently and is helping restore to the premier investigative agency of the country its credibility and autonomy. It is expected that after the final verdict, the court will also put in place strict measures so that the government does not interfere in the functioning of the country’s independent agencies.

Mohd. Usmani,
Mumbai

Sir — The mutual mud slinging between Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana has dealt a severe blow to the credibility and reputation of the CBI. The CVC was therefore right to have sent both the officials on leave. The decision of the apex court to authorise a quick probe into the allegations against the two is also a well-conceived move.

The Congress chief, Rahul Gandhi, however, has approached the issue with a jaundiced eye. He has alleged that Verma was sent on leave because he was collecting documents related to the Rafale scam. But this logic does not apply to the removal of Asthana. If Asthana were really on the government’s side, why were steps taken against him?

K.V. Seetharamaiah,
Hassan, Karnataka

Sir — All political parties in India try to influence investigations that are inconvenient to them. They have little respect for democratic processes. Now it seems that even the CBI is not free from corruption and partisan politics. The problem lies with India’s immutable bureaucracy. The faces often change after electoral processes, but the new recruits soon begin to resemble the old guard in word and deed.

R. Banerjee,
Calcutta

Sir — There is a lack of funds, manpower as well as technological facilities in the public libraries of India. In order to popularise the use of libraries, these problems must be addressed first. The elderly, who are often lonely and depressed, could be trained to operate computers so that they can help in digitising libraries. Such technological competence would also help them connect with their families who live elsewhere, as they would then also be able to handle social media applications with ease. This could also serve to bridge the age divide in our society while rejuvenating public libraries.

Antara Chakraborty,
Calcutta