CBI Versus CBI Live Updates: CBI Versus CBI Live Updates: Alok Verma, the CBI chief who has been exiled into leave, has told the Supreme Court in his petition that the government’s decision to divest him of his role was “patently illegal” as the law mandates a 2-year tenure of CBI director to ensure the agency’s independence. “Decision of transfer of CBI director rests with a high powered committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. Centre’s decision goes against SC directions for an independent CBI,” the petition reads. Claiming that the autonomy of the country’s premier investigating agency is being compromised, Verma said there are bound to be occasions when “certain investigations into high functionaries do not take the direction that may be desirable to the government”.
The government has, however, claimed that CBI director Alok Verma was not cooperating with the Central Vigilance Commission and defended its decision to divest him of all charges, saying that an “extra-ordinary and unprecedented” situation had arisen due to “grave allegations of corruption” against senior functionaries of the agency. The controversy spilled over to the political realm with the Congress and other opposition parties alleging a Rafale link to the move. At a poll rally in Rajasthan, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said the Narendra Modi government “removed” Verma as CBI director overnight to stall probe into the Rafale fighter jet deal with France. In its first response to the ongoing turmoil in CBI, the government has said that divesting Verma and CBI special director Rakesh Asthana of their charges was essential to maintain the agency’s “integrity”.
The CBI has, meanwhile, overhauled the team probing allegations of corruption against its special director Rakesh Asthana, bringing in completely new faces. M Nageswar Rao, a 1986-batch Odisha cadre IPS officer, who took over the duties and functions of CBI director late on Tuesday, appointed Satish Dagar as Superintendent of Police to probe the case. Dagar has in the past probed cases against Dera Sachcha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim. His first supervisor will be DIG Tarun Gauba, who had probed Vyapam cases. At joint director-level, V Murugesan has been brought in. The Supreme Court had reposed faith in Murugesan in the coal scam probe. The previous investigating officer, Deputy SP A K Bassi, has been shunted to Port Blair in “public interest” with “immediate effect”.
Asthana had alleged in his complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission that Bassi was carrying out “roving inquiries” against him on the directions of Alok Verma, the CBI director who has been divested of all powers by the government along with him. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, has decided to hear CBI director Alok Verma’s petition on the ongoing internal war on Friday.
The government order on Rao’s appointment implies that the government has side-lined all the three additional directors, number three in the agency hierarchy, including A K Sharma whose name had figured in the complaint by Asthana.
Lashing out at the BJP-led government at the Centre, AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was trying to “hide” something. What are the reasons for sending CBI director on leave? Under which law did the Modi govt get the authority to initiate action against the chief of an investigating agency appointed as per the Lokpal Act ? What is Modi govt trying to hide ? (sic),” he tweeted. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury termed the move as “illegal” and alleged a “cover-up”. “The illegal removal of CBI Chief by Modi government to protect their own handpicked officer, against whom serious charges of corruption are being investigated, points to attempts at a serious cover-up to protect his direct links to the BJP’s top political leadership,” he said. In a series of tweets, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the PM can’t “interfere” in the middle of a “criminal investigation”.
The case emanates from a statement recorded by a Hyderabad-based real estate agent Sathish Sana whose role was being investigated by a team led by Asthana in a bribery case allegedly involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi. It was alleged that Sana had paid Rs 50 lakh as bribe to Qureshi, which was shown as investment in his company, to get relief in a bribery case.
A Special Investigation Team led by Rakesh Asthana was probing the matter and was repeatedly questioning Sana in this regard as it suspected him of lying in the matter. A lookout notice was also issued against him by the investigation which prevented him from leaving the country on September 25, 2018, Sana had said in his statement which is part of the FIR.
The team also submitted a proposal to arrest him as it felt the need for custodial interrogation on October 20, 2018 before the director which was not cleared and sent for the opinion of Directorate of Prosecution.
“The arrest is ordered only when certain parameters are fulfilled. The sanctioning authority satisfies itself whether arrest is warranted or not. The due procedure was followed,” CBI spokesperson said on the question of Asthana’s claims.
Asthana in his complaint to the Cabinet Secretary on August 24 had alleged that CBI Director Alok Verma had received a bribe of Rs 2 crore from Sana to help him get relief from repeated questioning.
He had also alleged that Verma had called him over phone in February to not call Sana for questioning.
In a surprising and unprecedented move on October 15, the CBI booked Asthana and investigation officer of the case on the charges of receiving bribe from Sana through middlemen Manoj Prasad and Somesh Prasad.
The CBI has arrested Devender Kumar, the Deputy SP and investigation officer, alleging that he had fabricated the statement of Sana purportedly claiming that a Rajya Sabha MP had met Verma on his pending case and assured him of relief and a clean chit.
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