SC dismisses petition against Asthana's appointment

The Supreme Court has dismissed a curative petition filed against the last year's judgement that found no illegality in appointment of Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana as special director of the CBI on October 22, 2017.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices Madan B Lokur, A K Sikri and Abhay Manohar Sapre said no case was made out within the parameters to consider the petition.

The court's order was passed on December 11 on a petition filed by advocate Prashant Bhushan on behalf of NGO Common Cause.

The court had earlier dismissed a review petition against the judgement. The review as well as the curative petitions are considered by the judges inside their chambers through circulation of papers.

The court had in November, last year dismissed the PIL which contended that Asthana, a 1984-batch officer, had allegdly been named in a secret diary recovered from the Income Tax raid in a Surat-based firm for having regularly received bribes. His son was alleged to have worked with M/s Sterling Biotech, the firm under the investigation of the CBI. It was also alleged his daughter's marriage cocktail party was organised at a farmhouse of M/s Sandesaran Group of Companies.

Notably, CBI director Alok Verma and Asthana were found to be involved in a bitter feud, forcing the government to divest both the officers of their power. An FIR was lodged by the CBI against Asthana on October 15 in an alleged bribery case.