CBI’s Verma counters Asthana’s graft charges

CBI Director Alok Verma on Friday appeared before a panel, headed by Central Vigilance Commissioner K V Chowdary, and countered for the second consecutive day the corruption charges levelled against him by Special Director Rakesh Asthana.

Asthana also came to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) office at around 4.45 pm and stayed there for around 10 minutes, but could notmeet any senior official as there was no scheduled appointment, officials said.

Verma is understood to have given point-wise refusal to all the allegations levelled by Asthana before the panel comprising Vigilance Commissioners T M Bhasin and Sharad Kumar, they said.

Justice A K Patnaik, a retired Supreme Court judge, who has been asked by the apex court to supervise the CVC inquiry was also present, the officials said.

Verma came to the CVC office early on Friday and stayed there for about an hour, they said. He did not speak to the media waiting outside the CVC office.

The Supreme Court had on October 26 asked the CVC to complete within two weeks its inquiry into the allegations against Verma.

The two-week time limit ends on Sunday and the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on Monday. Feuding officers Verma and Asthana have been sent on leave by the government.