CBI No.2 Rakesh Asthana gets protection from arrest till Nov 1

Rakesh Asthana, the CBI special director, who was sent on leave by the government after allegations of corruption, had moved the court last week after a CBI officer was arrested.

CBI special director Rakesh Asthana, who was being probed by the agency for bribery, will not be arrested till leave following allegations of corruption, will not be arrested till Thursday, the Delhi High Court said on Monday, extending the officer’s shield against arrest.

CBI special director Rakesh Asthana (PTI File Photo)

The court interim order came after the Central Bureau of Investigation sought more time to respond to Asthana’s petition challenging the corruption case registered against him.

The CBI told the high court that they do not have the case file as all the related files and documents are with the CVC. “Has the CBI come to a standstill?” Justice Najmi Waziri shot back.

The agency’s two most-senior officers, CBI chief Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana, are being probed for corruption.

Alok Verma had earlier this month filed a case against Rakesh Asthana, who has also accused his boss of corruption.

The case against Asthana has been registered on a complaint by a Hyderabad-based businessman, Sana Satish Babu, who alleged that two Dubai-based brothers – Manoj Prasad and Somesh Prasad – claimed that they were acting on behalf of the CBI special director and allegedly struck a deal for ₹5 crore to protect him in a case that the agency registered against controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi. Former CBI director AP Singh is also an accused in the case.

Devender Kumar, who was earlier the investigating officer in a case involving Moin Qureshi, was arrested last week on allegations of forgery.