CBI special director Rakesh Asthana
The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, asked Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to maintain status quo on proceedings against its special director Rakesh Asthana, accused in the bribery case, till November 14.
The CBI, on Thursday, filed a reply before the Delhi High Court opposing the plea filed by Rakesh Asthana. CBI has stated in its reply that the matter is currently under initial stages of the investigation and it is handicapped because certain files are with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
CBI also states before Delhi High Court that the plea filed by Rakesh Asthana seeking quashing of the FIR should be dismissed.
Agency said that allegations against the officers and others show cognisable offences.
The Delhi High Court on Thursday will also hear a plea of middleman Manoj Prasad, arrested in the bribery case involving CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, seeking quashing of the FIR against him.
Justice Najmi Waziri, who was scheduled to hear the petition Tuesday, listed it for Thursday after Prasad’s counsel sought an adjournment saying the senior advocate who has to argue the matter was busy in the Supreme Court.
Asthana had filed a plea seeking quashing of FIR against him.
On Wednesday, a Delhi court granted bail to suspended Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, who is accused of falsifying records of a corruption case involving the agency's Special Director Rakesh Asthana.
Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann granted the relief to Kumar and asked him to furnish a personal bond and a surety of Rs 50,000 each.
The court observed that after registration of the FIR, nothing incriminating came up or surfaced during the investigation against Kumar. The court also directed Kumar to join investigation as and when called by the CBI, and not to contact the witnesses or tamper with evidence.
Kumar, through his counsel Rahul Tyagi, told the court that there was no allegation in the FIR about demand of illegal gratification by him or about receiving any illegal gratification from the complainant.
The defence counsel argued that registration of the FIR and arrest of Kumar had been done in violation of the standard procedures laid down in the CBI Manual for the investigation of cases involving complaints against CBI officials.
The CBI countered these arguments, saying that prompt action was required due to the nature of allegations in the complaint. The CBI also told the court that there was no violation of any law or procedure with respect to registration of FIR and arrest of the accused.
Kumar was arrested last week on charges of falsification of records while probing allegations against meat exporter Moin Qureshi and was remanded to CBI custody till October 30.
Kumar was an Investigating Officer in a case against Qureshi, who is facing multiple cases of money laundering and corruption. The CBI alleged that bribes were taken at least five times between December 2017 and October this year.
Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, is accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 2 crore from a Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Sathish Babu, who was under probe in the Qureshi case in a bid to "wreck" the investigation.
The case was being examined by a special investigation team (SIT) headed by Asthana.
(With inputs from agencies)
