NGO asks SC to review Asthana's appointment

An NGO, which challenged the appointment of Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as CBI's additional director, has approached the Supreme Court with a plea to reconsider the November 28 judgement, finding no illegality in it.

A review petition filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan on behalf of Common Cause contended that Asthana was to be investigated by the CBI in relation to two FIRs registered on August 30, 2017, and October 25, 2017.

The NGO in its writ petition had earlier challenged Asthana's appointment, claiming his name had surfaced in a diary recovered during a raid conducted by the Income Tax department at the offices and other premises of company Sterling Biotech Ltd.

It also claimed a note sent by the CBI director to the selection  committee headed by the CVC contained certain charges against the officer, which required to be investigated.

Thus, the appointment was "in violation of the principles of impeccable integrity and institutional integrity".

A bench of Justices R K Agrawal and A M Sapre had on November 28 dismissed the challenge to Asthana's appointment, saying it cannot question a "unanimous" decision taken by the selection committee and the decision is not illegal.

The Appointment Committee of Cabinet comprising the prime  minister and home minister had on October 22 issued an order for appointment of Asthana to the post of CBI additional director.