Following is the chronology of events leading up to the Supreme Court reinstating Alok Kumar Verma as CBI director on Tuesday, setting aside the Centre's decision to divest him of his powers:
- April 2016: Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana appointed additional director of CBI.
- Dec 3: Asthana made interim CBI director after retirement of then chief Anil Sinha.
- Jan 19, 2017: Alok Verma appointed CBI chief for a tenure of two years.
- Oct 22: CBI appoints Asthana special director.
- Nov 2: Advocate Prashant Bhushan moves SC on behalf of NGO, Common Cause, challenging Asthana's appointment.
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- Nov 28: SC dismisses the petition.
- July 12, 2018: While Verma was abroad, CVC calls meeting to discuss promotions, seeks to know who will attend it. CBI responds Asthana has no mandate to represent Verma.
- Aug 24: Asthana complains to cabinet secretary, alleging misconduct by Verma. Matter referred to CVC.
- Sep 21: CBI tells CVC Asthana was facing probe in six cases of corruption.
- Oct 15: CBI lodges FIR with bribery allegations against Asthana, Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, Dubai-based investment banker Manoj Prasad and his brother Somesh Prasad.
- Oct 16: CBI arrests middleman Manoj Prasad.
- Oct 20: CBI raids Kumar's residence and office at its headquarters, claims to have seized his mobile phones and iPads.
- Oct 22: CBI arrests Kumar, alleging he "fabricated the statement" of businessman Sathish Sana, facing probe in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi and had paid bribes to get relief.
- Oct 23: Kumar moves HC seeking quashing of FIR against him. Hours later, Asthana too moves HC seeking quashing of FIR against him and direction to CBI not to take coercive steps against him.
- Delhi HC orders status quo regarding Asthana, seeks response of CBI, Verma on both pleas.
- Late night, DoPT divests Verma of all his statutory obligations, appoints M Nageswara Rao interim CBI chief.
- Oct 24: Verma moves SC against govt order.
- Oct 25: NGO Common Cause files PIL in SC, seeking SIT probe into allegations of corruption against CBI officials including Asthana.
- Oct 26: SC directs CVC to complete inquiry into complaint against Verma in two weeks, seeks response of CVC and Centre on Verma's plea challenging the government order.
- The court directs Rao to not take major or policy decisions, to file in sealed cover his decisions taken till now.
- SC notice to Centre, CBI, CVC, Asthana, Verma and Rao on NGO's plea.
- Oct 30: SC directs Hyderabad police to provide adequate security to businessman Satish Sana, complainant against Asthana.
- CBI Deputy SP AK Bassi, former probe officer in alleged corruption case against Asthana, moves SC against his transfer.
- Oct 31: CBI Additional Superintendent of Police S S Gurm approaches HC against Asthana.
- Nov 1: FIR against Asthana shows cognisable offences, CBI tells HC.
- CBI, Asthana oppose in HC Gurm's plea to be heard in the matter.
- Nov 12: CVC files preliminary probe report in sealed cover in SC.
- Nov 18: Dy SP Ashwini Gupta moves SC challenging his repatriation to Intelligence Bureau.
- Nov 19: CBI officer, probing the FIR lodged against Asthana, moves SC seeking quashing of his transfer to Nagpur.
- Nov 27: Trial court extends middleman's judicial custody till Dec 11.
- Nov 29: Alok Verma tells SC his fixed tenure of two years as CBI chief cannot be altered.
- Dec 5: Fight between two top CBI officers exposed agency to ridicule, Centre tells SC.
- Jan 8, 2019: SC sets aside Centre's decision divesting Verma of his powers and sending him on leave, restrains him from taking policy decisions.
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