CBI VS CBI: Delhi High Court stays arrest of Rakesh Asthana till Monday

On Oct 23, 2018

NP NEWS 24 ONLINE – The Delhi High Court has given an interim relief to CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana and held that he can’t be arrested till Monday. On October 29 the case will come up for hearing in Delhi High Court.

The court has also asked Asthana and CBI DSP Devender Kumar, who was arrested on Monday, to ensure safe custody of all evidence, electronic items, phones, laptops etc in their possession.

[amazon_link asins=’B07DT3PYWX,B073Q5R6VR,B078JVYMV1′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’policenama100-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’dc0fbfe5-d6be-11e8-90cb-81bfbb471971′]

CBI had asked a day’s time from the court to amend the FIR against Asthana and bring on record all sections against him. However, the court said the status quo should be maintained in the case.

The fresh twist to the battle within the Central Bureau of Investigation involving the agency’s number 1 and number 2 officials, the investigative agency has reportedly divested Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana of all responsibilities. The move is the latest in a series of development that split open the rift within the top two ranks of the CBI.

[amazon_link asins=’0143426842,817049320X,B00J6845NA,8170494672,8170495032,8170492939,0143424424,8187431008,8170494478′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’policenama100-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’f17e0bff-d6be-11e8-9d4d-6bdacd7302b7′]

What is the case?

In its FIR, the CBI has alleged that Asthana took a bribe of Rs 3 crore to settle a case against a Hyderabad-based businessman, Sathish Sana, whose name had come up during an investigation in the Moin Qureshi case. Moin Qureshi, a Uttar Pradesh-based meat exporter allegedly close to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, has been under the lens of various Indian agencies since 2014.

He has been accused by the Enforcement Directorate of remitting funds through hawala channels to Dubai, London, and a few other destinations in Europe. Qureshi is believed to have had links with UPA-era CBI director A P Singh. Sana, reports say, is a key witness for the CBI and the ED in various cases against Qureshi.

The CBI which handled the country’s most matters like Nirav Modi case, Kathua rape case or INX media etc, and now it is being discussed by its own disputes and corruption matters.

What are the allegations on Asthana?

CBI special director Asthana booked for taking the bribe, a complaint was filed by Hyderabad’s businessman Satish Babu Sana. Asthana took three crores of money as a bribe at last year, as per the mentioned in FIR.

Justification by Asthana:

Asthana had put his side by writing a letter to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). He also said in his letter that, CBI director has appointed a very corrupted officer named as Sanjay Bakshi in Anti-Corruption Bureau. They are making allegations on me for cheating me.