CBI chief, deputy sent on leave; Nageshwar Rao is interim director

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 24

The war within the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday saw a new development with the government handing over interim charge of the Bureau to its Joint Director M Nageshwar Rao with immediate effect.

The late Tuesday night order said the appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet after another order sent both the CBI chief Alok Verma and his number two Special Director Rakesh Ashtana on leave.

The internecine battle in the premier investigation agency of the country came out in the open recently after the top two traded charges of corruption against each other and the CBI filed a case against Asthana last week.

On Tuesday, Asthana who moved the Delhi High Court against the move got relief from arrest till October 29 while Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, another accused in the case arrested on Monday by the CBI in the case pertaining to meat exporter Moin Qureshi was remanded to police custody for seven days.

In an unprecedented move, the CBI had searched the office of DSP Kumar inside its headquarters following a complaint by a Hyderabad businessman Sana Satish Babu, alleging the DSP was demanding bribe in the Qureshi case to keep him away from the probe.

The CBI filed a case on October 15 against Asthana, Kumar and two others accusing the latter of having fabricated a statement by Satish Babu. On Tuesday, the CBI indicated that it was adding more provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including extortion to the case.

The flare-up within the CBI caused embarrassment to the government amid reports that the Prime Minister’s Office was intervening. Prior to the CBI case against Asthana, the Special Director had written a letter to the Central Vigilance Commissioner alleging misdoings by Alok Verma.

According to reports, the Central Vigilance Commission met on Tuesday to scrutinise the counter-complaints by both Kumar and Asthana and recommended that they be sent on leave.

Sources said the government is likely to appoint a SIT to go into the charges of corruption filed by the then CBI Chief Verma and his number two Special Director Asthana against each other.