SC dismisses curative petition questioning Asthana's appointment as CBI special director

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a curative petition filed by Common Cause, an NGO, challenging the appointment of Rakesh Asthana as the special director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

"We have gone through the curative petition and the connected papers. In our opinion, no case is made out within the parameters indicated in the decision of this Court... Hence, the curative petition is dismissed," said a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

The bench which had dismissed the curative plea on December 11 also comprised Justice Madan B Lokur, Justice AK Sikri and Justice Abhay Manohar Sapre.

The petitioner had contended that Asthana's appointment was illegal as his name had surfaced in a diary recovered during a raid conducted by the Income Tax department at the offices and other premises of Sterling Biotech Ltd and Sadesaras Group of Companies.

On November 28 last year, an apex court bench had dismissed the PIL filed by the NGO against the appointment of Asthana as CBI Special Director, stating that it cannot question a "unanimous" decision taken by the selection committee.

The top court had also dismissed a plea seeking review of the judgment.