The government and the Chief Vigilance Commission today confronted questions in the Supreme Court over the sudden, overnight order to send the CBI's top two Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana on leave after "tolerating" their fight since July. Yesterday, the government's lawyer, KK Venugopal, had told the judges that extraordinary circumstances led to the decision, since the two officers had been fighting for months like "cats". The court questioned the haste to take the step without consulting a selection committee, as is the rule for any action against the CBI chief.
