Alok Verma resumes office after 77-day forced leave
New Delhi, Jan 9: CBI Director Alok Verma joined office Wednesday, 77 days after he was sent on forced leave by the central government through a much-criticised late-night order on October 23, 2018, which was set aside by the Supreme Court.
The October order sent Verma and his deputy Special Director Rakesh Asthana, booked by the agency on corruption charges, into exile in a first-of-its-kind move by the government in the agency's history.
In sending Verma on leave, the government overlooked the immunity given to the CBI director by the Supreme Court ensuring a two-year minimum tenure to protect the incumbent from any political interference.
The government tried to justify its decision, saying it became necessary amid an unprecedented feud between the two senior-most officials of the agency who had levelled charges of corruption on each other, an argument rejected by the apex court Tuesday.
The government had given charge to then Joint Director M Nageswara Rao who was later promoted as additional director in the agency.
Verma had challenged the move in the Supreme Court which clipped the powers of Rao as director in-charge and barred him from taking any major policy decision till a final order comes from it.
In its order Tuesday, the Supreme Court set aside Verma's forced leave but restrained him from taking any major policy decision till the CVC probe into corruption charges against him is over.
In the absence of any clear definition of "major policy" decisions, the grey area exists as to what extent Verma's powers will be limited.
The apex court said any further decision against Verma, who retires on January 31, would be taken by the high-powered committee which selects and appoints the CBI director.
The Supreme Court in Vineet Narain judgment had fixed a minimum tenure of two years for the CBI director to give him immunity from any political interference. Later, through Lokpal Act, the process of selecting the CBI director was handed over to a selection committee.
The selection committee comprises the prime minister, the leader of opposition and the chief justice of India.
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Ansuman Bhagat Says Films Are Made for Entertainment, Not Propaganda Dhurandhar 2 Day 8 Box Office
Dhurandhar 2 Day 8 Box Office
Writer Ansuman Bhagat shared his views on Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge, stating that films should be seen as a medium of entertainment rather than through a propaganda lens. Bhagat also said that this film is one of the finest in Bollywood history, as it keeps audiences engaged through its real-time narrative. He praised the strength of every character and dialogue, adding that while some people are calling it propaganda, this is not new in India, where films are often viewed from a political perspective instead of purely as entertainment, which can mislead society.
Meanwhile, at the box office, the film has entered its second week and is showing a slight drop in collections. On Day 8, according to early estimates, the film earned around ₹3.34 crore, with an overall theatre occupancy of about 16.7%. There has also been a sharp decline in the number of shows, dropping from 20,352 to 4,452, marking a 78% decrease.
Despite this slowdown, the film’s overall performance remains strong. So far, it has crossed ₹748.52 crore (gross) in India, including ₹626.76 crore net. With this, it has surpassed Stree 2 and Chhaava, and is now nearing the record of Jawan.
Globally, the film continues its impressive run. With an overseas collection of ₹261.92 crore, its total worldwide gross has reached ₹1,006.50 crore. The film has also set a new record in the UK, outperforming several major releases.
The film stars Ranveer Singh and is directed by Aditya Dhar, featuring a strong cast including Arjun Rampal, Sanjay Dutt, and R. Madhavan in key roles.
Although the film has slowed down in its second week, it is expected to regain momentum over the weekend and continue setting new benchmarks at the box office.
