I respect SC verdict: PM

New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
on Thursday said he respected the Indian apex court verdict on
the quashing of the appointment of P J Thomas as Central
Vigilance Commissioner.
"I respect the Supreme Court verdict," he said when
asked to comment on the Supreme Court judgement.
Parliament sources said that a statement would be made
on behalf of the government in both the Houses.
A high-power committee, headed by the Prime Minister,
had cleared the appointment of Thomas, the then Union Telecom
Secretary, to the Constitutional post.
Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, a member of
the three-member high-power committee, had made known her
disagreement to the government proposal of appointing Thomas
as CVC. Home Minister P Chidambaram is the other member.
Dealing a big blow to the Central government, the
Supreme Court struck down the appointment of Thomas as CVC,
holding that the recommendation made by the high-powered panel
did not consider the relevant material and, therefore, its
advice "does not exist in law".
60-year-old Thomas, facing a corruption case in a
Kerala court relating to Palmolein import scam, resigned
immediately after the apex Court gave its keenly awaited
verdict, just six months after the former bureaucrat was
appointed as the 14th CVC.