CBI row: HC extends status quo order on action against Asthana till Nov 14

The Delhi High Court Thursday extended till Nov 14 its order asking the CBI to maintain status quo on proceedings against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, allegedly involved in a bribery case.

Both CBI and Asthana opposed in the high court the plea of Additional SP S S Gurm, who has been transferred from Delhi to Jabalpur in the wake of feud between CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma and Asthana, to be heard in the matter.

The High Court on October 23 had ordered the CBI to maintain status quo on proceedings against Asthana which was further extended on October 29 till Thursday, November 1.

The October 23 order had also made it clear that the agency would not take any coercive step against Asthana.

Earlier in the day, the CBI in its reply to Asthana's plea seeking to quash an FIR against him, said that allegations against him and others show cognisable offences.

The CBI filed the reply in response to the notice issued to it on the petition filed by Asthana against the lodging of the case.

A bench of Justice Najmi Waziri will hear the petition of middleman Manoj Prasad by 3:30 pm.