Rao tenders unconditional apology in Supreme Court

CBI additional director M Nageshwara Rao on Monday tendered his unconditional and unequivocal apology before the Supreme Court and accepted mistake in transferring a senior officer, who supervised the Muzaffarpur shelter home case, despite an embargo by the top court.

"I have not willfully violated the orders of this court as I cannot dream of violating or circumventing order of this court," Rao said in an affidavit filed on Monday.

Maintaining that he has the highest respect for this court, he contended that the said action was not made with any deliberate or disobedient intent.

Rao has been told by the top court to appear before it on Tuesday after taking stern view of the orders passed to transfer the officer supervising probe into shelter home case.

On February 4, the top court summoned senior IPS officer Rao for contempt of court after finding that he, as in charge director of the CBI, transferred the officer.

"We are going to take it very seriously. God help you. We are going to initiate contempt proceedings. Never play around with the orders of the court," Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had said.

The court noted that IPS officer A K Sharma, who as joint director was supervising the shelter home case, was transferred on January 18 as additional director general CRPF though it had earlier specifically said that the officer should not be shifted without its permission.

Along with Rao, the court also sought personal presence of CBI's in charge director of prosecution on February 12.

The court had said it had on October 31, 2018 and November 28, 2018 directed that Sharma should not be transferred from the post without its nod.

Rao was appointed as in charge director of CBI after then director Alok Verma and additional director Rakesh Asthana, who openly fought among themselves, were divested of their charge by the government.

Subsequently, the top court reinstated Verma and quashed the order appointing Rao as in charge director CBI.

However, the high-powered selection panel headed by the Prime Minister again removed Verma and nominated Rao as in charge CBI chief.