CBI books its Special Director

New Delhi, October 21

The CBI has booked its second in command and Special Director, Rakesh Asthana, over allegations of receiving bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi — a charge levelled by the officer against CBI Director Alok Verma in his complaint to the Cabinet Secretary two months ago.

The case was registered after allegations and counter-allegations by both senior officers and a probe by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). The CBI registered the case against Asthana on October 15 on the basis of a complaint from Satish Sana, a Hyderabad-based businessman, facing probe in the 2017 case.

It was alleged that the officer had allegedly helped him get a clean chit. Sana was also arrested in a money laundering case. The CBI also arrested Manoj Prasad, believed to be a middleman, upon his return from Dubai on October 16.

Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Asthana is heading the Special Investigating Team handling crucial cases such as the AgustaWestland chopper scam and loan fraud by business tycoon Vijay Mallya. The team is also probing the Moin Qureshi case.

Asthana, in an exhaustive letter to the Cabinet Secretary on August 24, had given a list of 10 instances of alleged corruption by Verma in which it was alleged that Sana paid the CBI chief Rs 2 crore to get a clean chit in the case, sources said.

This complaint was referred to the CVC. — TNS