‘Serious allegations’: CBI chief wants probe against deputy to go on

In his reply filed in the Delhi high court, which will take up the plea later Monday, CBI chief Alok Verma also denied the allegations of corruption made against him by agency no 2 Rakesh Asthana. Both have been divested of their powers and sent on leave after their increasingly public feud reached the courts.

CBI chief Alok Verma has opposed his deputy Rakesh Asthana’s plea seeking quashing of the FIR against him for alleged corruption, saying the charges are serious and require a “thorough probe”, reported ANI.

Alok Verma taking charge as a CBI Director at CBI Headquarter in New Delhi, India, on February 1, 2017, in presence of Special Director Rakesh Asthana. Both are currently divested of their powers after publicly accusing each other of corruption (File Photo) (HT PHOTO)

In his reply filed in the Delhi high court, which will take up the plea later Monday, Verma also denied the allegations of corruption made against him by Asthana. On October 23, both of the Central Bureau of Investigation’s top two officers had been divested of their powers and sent on leave by the Central Vigilance Commission, which has jurisdictional oversight of the agency, after their increasingly public feud reached the courts.

“Allegations are nothing but imagination of the petitioner, the petition by Asthana is not maintainable and is misconceived. Investigation are at nascent stage. Allegations made in complaint against Asthana and others are very serious and require thorough probe,” he said, as per ANI.

In the last hearing of the matter on November 28, the high court had allowed Verma and Joint Director AK Sharma to inspect, in the CVC’s office, the case file relating to FIR against Asthana.

Justice Najmi Waziri asked Verma to go to Central Vigilance Commission’s office after his counsel said that there are allegations of mala fide against him in Asthana’s petition. The court had also extended till December 7 its order directing the CBI to maintain status quo regarding proceedings against Asthana.

The court is hearing separate pleas of Asthana, CBI deputy superintendent of police Devender Kumar and middleman Manoj Prasad seeking quashing of the FIR against them.

Kumar, earlier the investigating officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, was arrested by the CBI on allegations of forgery in recording the statement of businessman Sathish Babu Sana who had alleged to have paid bribe to Asthana, through the Dubai-based Prasad, to get relief in the case.