CJI Ranjan Gogoi sees red and adjourns court over leak of confidential information

Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi dismissed and adjourned the court till November 29 on the CBI vs CBI Verma-Asthana case after ‘confidential’ information regarding the case was allegedly leaked in the media and public.

On Verma’s plea against his forced leave, the Supreme Court ordered that the Central Vigilance Commission file its report regarding the corruption charges lodged by and against, both the current Director CBI Alok Verma and IPS Officer Rakesh Asthana. Supreme Court had asked Verma to file a confidential response against the said allegations. Both the report and response are supposed to be confidential matter.

Gogoi showed his anger over the issue as he questioned Fali Nariman, one of Verma’s lawyers, presenting him a report published in The Wire which had contents of Verma’s response which was supposed to be confidential information.

The Wire’s website, on being checked, suggested that the news report that spread fire in the Supreme Court was a November 17 article titled ‘Exclusive: CBI Director Alok Verma’s Responses to CVC Put Modi Government in the Dock’.
The Wire said clarified in a series of tweets pe it was an article about Alok Verma’s response to the issue at hand.

“This court is not a platform for people to come and express whatever. This is a place for adjudication of legal issues. We intend to set this right,” said CJI Gogoi as he refused the pleas of Nariman for a hearing to clarify certain aspects of the matter. Nariman blamed the matter on irresponsible journalism, but the court adjourned nevertheless. CJI went on to say that’ “this (court) is an adjudicating body and we know how to ensure that it remains an adjudicating body.”