JOIN USCBI: Infighting reaches HC, Dy SP sent to 7 day custody
The infighting in the CBI on Tuesday reached the Delhi High Court doors with Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana petitioning against an FIR in a bribery case while arrested Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar challenged his arrest.
Amid CBI claiming that extortion is being done in garb of investigations, its Special Director Rakesh Asthana and Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar on Tuesday knocked the doors of Delhi High Court challenging the FIR against them in a corruption case.
The High Court did not stay the ongoing probe but directed the CBI to maintain status quo on the criminal proceedings initiated against Asthana till the next Monday while a local court sent Kumar to seven days CBI custody.
While Asthana, the CBI second-in-command who is at loggerheads with Director Alok Verma, sought a direction from the High Court that no coercive action be taken against him, Kumar, who was arrested on Monday, challenged his arrest in a separate plea.
Justice Najmi Waziri, who heard the case which was mentioned before Chief Justice Rajendra Menon earlier in the day, also sought response of the probe agency and its Director Alok Kumar Verma and Joint Director A K Sharma as well as the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which is the administrative arm for the CBI.
He also asked both Asthana and Kumar to preserve the records of the case and also their mobile records while posting the matter for hearing on next Monday.
The CBI registered a case against Asthana and others on October 15 in connection with bribery allegations. Kumar, earlier the investigating officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, was arrested on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of businessman Sathish Sana. Sana alleged that he paid bribe to get relief in the case.
In the High Court, CBI claimed that charges against Asthana are serious and the agency was investigating the matter and is likely to add more offences in the FIR.
Countering the charges, Asthana's lawyer said it 2was the case of illegal registration of FIR, which is based on the statement of accused.
Separately, the CBI produced Kumar before a court where it sought remand for ten days for further interrogation and opposed his bail plea. However, the court granted only seven days.
Demanding his custody, the CBI claimed that a big extortion racket was being run in the garb of investigations. The agency claimed that incriminating documents and evidence found after raiding his office and residence.
Kumar's lawyer alleged that there was big conspiracy to derail the case against Qureshi because two former Directors are involved. Former CBI Directors A P Singh and Ranjit Sinha are facing CBI cases in connection with charges against Qureshi.