Graft case: CBI DSP Kumar moves Delhi HC challenging arrest

CBI DSP Devender Kumar Tuesday approached the Delhi High Court challenging his arrest in connection with bribery allegations involving agency's Special Director Rakesh Asthana.

The matter was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao by senior advocate Dayan Krishnan.

The court listed the plea for hearing before an appropriate bench in the post lunch session today.

The DSP has made CBI, its director Alok Kumar Verma, joint director A K Sharma and Department of Personnel and Training as parties in the case.

The plea has sought quashing of the FIR terming it as being "illegal, frivolous and malafide".

"Issue an appropriate writ or order calling for the records of the case and other related documents and for quashing of the FIR registered against the petitioner," the plea said, adding he has no other efficacious remedy than to approach the high court.

The CBI had yesterday arrested Kumar in connection with bribery allegations involving its second-in-command Asthana.

Kumar, who was earlier the investigating officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, was arrested yesterday by the CBI on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of businessman Sathish Sana, who had alleged to have paid bribe to get relief in the case.

In his statement, Sana had purportedly said that he had in June this year discussed his case with Telugu Desam Party's Rajya Sabha member C M Ramesh who, after speaking to the CBI Director, had assured him that he would not be summoned again.

"From June onwards, I was not called by the CBI. I was under the impression that investigation against me is complete," he is believed to have said.

The CBI has now alleged that Kumar had fabricated this statement as an "afterthought...to corroborate the baseless allegations made by Asthana against CBI Director Alok Verma to the CVC (Central Vigilance Commissioner)".

They said the agency was also looking into the alleged role of other members of the special investigation team headed by Asthana.

Asthana, who was booked by the agency on bribery charges in an unprecedented action, had complained against CBI Director Verma on August 24, 2018.