A Central Bureau of Investigation officer on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court the agency’s Special Director Rakesh Asthana was misleading it by placing “selective facts” before it in a bribery case, PTI reported. The court is hearing petitions filed by Asthana and CBI Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar seeking to quash the probe agency’s First Information Report against them in a bribery case.
CBI Additional Superintendent of Police SS Gurm, who was part of the investigation against Asthana, was transferred along with several other CBI officials last week after M Nageswara Rao took over as interim chief of the agency. Rao took charge after the Centre sent both CBI Director Alok Verma and his second-in-command Asthana on leave over allegations of corruption and bribery.
In his petition before the High Court on Wednesday, Gurm challenged the order transferring him to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. The officer also sought to be made a party in the petition filed by Asthana. Gurm claimed that he has reasonable apprehension that the CBI was trying to protect Asthana and may not effectively contest the petition, PTI reported.
On Monday, the High Court directed the CBI to maintain status quo in its proceedings against Asthana till November 1 and gave him interim relief from arrest.
Asthana is accused of accepting a Rs 2-crore bribe to scuttle an investigation into businessman Moin Qureshi, who is an accused in multiple corruption cases.
Senior Central Bureau of Investigation officer AK Bassi, who was also investigating Asthana, on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking a Special Investigating Team inquiry into the charges against Asthana, saying he has incriminating evidence against Asthana in the bribery case and asked the court to call for evidence of technical surveillance.
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