The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought the Central Bureau of Investigation’s response to businessman Satish Babu Sana’s petition seeking to be heard in a case related to the quashing of a First Information report against the agency’s Special Director Rakesh Asthana. The court also sought replies from Asthana, CBI Director Alok Verma and Joint Director AK Sharma, PTI reported.
The Narendra Modi-led government in October sent Verma and Asthana – the agency’s two top officials – on leave following the allegations of corruption and bribery. Sana had accused Asthana of accepting a Rs 2-crore bribe to scuttle an investigation against businessman Moin Qureshi, who is a suspect in multiple corruption cases. Asthana had moved the High Court to quash the FIR registered against him in the bribery case.
Senior lawyer Salman Khurshid, appearing for Sana, said that the FIR had been filed based on Sana’s complaint, and therefore the court ought to hear him. But Additional Solicitor General Vikramjit Banerjee, representing the CBI, said that there was no need for the court to hear Sana, since his complaint was already on record and the agency had been defending it, Bar and Bench reported.
However, Justice Nazimi Waziri replied: “This objection should come from the petitioner. Take time, look into the matter.”
Sana also sought protection from any action against him by the CBI. To this, Banerjee said the agency was “not contemplating any coercive action” against him, Bar and Bench reported. “I don’t think there is any impeding threat to him,” Banerjee said.
The court said the CBI, Verma, Asthana and Sharma should file their replies by December 14, the next date of hearing. It also asked Sana to appear before the CBI at 10 am on December 17.
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