Centre Vs CBI: A K Patnaik, The Other Odisha Connection In The Case

By OB Bureau On Oct 26, 2018

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the interim CBI chief M Nageswara Rao not to take any major policy decisions, while seeking response from the central investigating agency, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and the Centre on director Alok Kumar Verma’s plea challenging the government’s decision to divest him of his duties and send him on leave.

All decisions taken by Rao shall be placed before the apex court in a sealed cover.

While Rao is an Odisha cadre IPS officer, the other Odisha connection in this high-profile case is former Supreme Court judge Ananga Kumar Patnaik, who will oversee a Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) inquiry into the allegations and counter allegations.

The apex court has asked him to submit the report within two weeks.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi posted the next date of hearing on November 12.

The notices were issued on the petition filed by Common Cause, an NGO, which sought a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe against Verma and CBI’s Special Director Rakesh Asthana who have made allegations of corruption against each other.

Patnaik did his Bachelor of Laws from Madhusudan Law College in Cuttack. He enrolled with the State Bar Council of Orissa in the year 1974. He practised in the Orissa High Court, and subordinate courts and tribunals in the state.

Patnaik specialized in commercial law and constitutional law and was the standing counsel for Orissa State Road Transportation Corporation From 1989 to 1990 and also the senior standing counsel for Commercial Tax Department of the Government of Orissa between 1990 and 1994.

He was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Orissa High Court on January 13, 1994, and transferred to the Gauhati High Court in February that year. He was made a permanent judge (puisne judge) of the Gauhati High Court in 1995. In 2002, he was transferred to the Odisha again, where he subsequently became the senior most puisne judge of Orissa High Court.

He was appointed Chief Justice of Chhattigarh High Court on March 14, 2005. Later that year he became Chief Justice of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, serving there for four years.

On November 17, 2009, he was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India where he served till his retirement on June 2, 2014.

After retirement, he was offered the post of chairman of Odisha State Human Rights Commission which he declined.

In March 2012, Patnaik was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa) by the Utkal University.