Alok Verma can inspect Asthana's case file in CVC office: HC

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday allowed Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma and Joint Director A.K. Sharma to inspect the file related to case against Special Director Rakesh Asthana in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)'s office.

Justice Najmi Waziri allowed the CBI Director's plea after Verma's counsel told the court that Asthana in his plea has levelled mala fide charges against him and sought permission to visit CVC office for inspecting the files.

Verma can visit the CVC office on Thursday while Sharma can on Friday.

The Delhi High Court also extended the interim protection from arrest granted to CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana till December 7 and ordered to continue the status quo in the case till the next date of hearing.

The court was hearing Asthana and suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devender Kumar's pleas seeking quashing of FIRs against them, saying the cases were registered against them in an illegal manner with mala fide intention.

According to the CBI, Kumar had fabricated the statement of Sana Sathish Babu, a witness in the businessman Moin Qureshi case, showing he recorded the statement on September 26 in Delhi. However, investigation revealed that Sana was not in Delhi on that day. He was in Hyderabad and joined the investigation only on October 1.

The CBI has registered an FIR against Asthana, Kumar and two others, alleging that they took bribes at least five times between December 2017 and October 2018.

Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre, is accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 2 crore from a businessman who was being probed in the Qureshi case to "wreck" the investigation. The case was being examined by a special investigation team headed by Asthana.

On October 24, CBI chief Alok Verma was divested of his charge and Joint Director M. Nageshwar Rao was made the interim Director. Asthana was also divested of all his supervisory responsibilities.

The government took the decision after Verma and Asthana accused each other of taking bribes.

--IANS

akk/nir