Doval blocked probe, minister sought bribe
New Delhi, Nov. 19: The internecine feud in the CBI turned murkier on Monday with a senior officer M.K. Sinha dragging the names of NSA Ajit Doval, Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC K.V. Chowdhury over alleged attempts to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who has been divested of his duties and sent on leave along with his boss.
Mr Sinha, who was probing the FIR against Mr Asthana, the CBI’s No. 2, and important cases like the PNB scam involving Nirav Modi, made a litany of sensational allegations in his petition before the Supreme Court that sought urgent hearing for quashing his transfer to Nagpur. Advocate Sunil Fernandes, appearing for Mr Sinha, informed a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that his client has “got some shocking revelations” in his petition and sought urgent listing and hearing Tuesday along with the plea of CBI director Alok Verma. “Nothing shocks us,” the bench, comprising Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph, shot back, ruling out urgent hearing. — PTI
New Delhi, Nov. 19: The internecine feud in the CBI turned murkier on Monday with a senior officer M.K. Sinha dragging the names of NSA Ajit Doval, Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC K.V. Chowdhury over alleged attempts to interfere in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who has been divested of his duties and sent on leave along with his boss.
“The transfer is arbitrary, motivated and malafide, and was made solely with the purpose and intent to victimise the officer as the investigation revealed cogent evidence against certain powerful persons,” he alleged. Mr Chowdhury did not respond to queries when his reaction was sought while Mr Doval, the National Security Advisor, was not immediately available for comments. The Union minister termed the allegations as baseless and malicious. In his 34-page petition, Mr Sinha, a 2000 batch IPS officer from Andhra Pradesh cadre, alleged that the CBI director briefed Doval on October 17 about registration of a case against Asthana.
“Subsequently on the same night, it was informed that the NSA has informed Rakesh
Asthana about registration of the FIR. It was informed that Rakesh Asthana reportedly made a request to the NSA that he should not be arrested,” the petition said.
Mr Sinha, while supporting the affidavit of Deputy Superintendent of Police officer A.K. Bassi, who has also been transferred to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, claimed Bassi favoured immediate search of public servants involved in the bribery case but the “Director CBI did not give immediate permission and reverted that the NSA has not permitted the same.”
The CBI booked Mr Asthana on allegations of receiving bribe from an accused Manoj Prasad probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
Sinha said during interrogation of a middleman Manoj Prasad, who was arrested in the bribery case allegedly involving Asthana, the names of Doval and Samant Kumar Goel, Special Director of India’s external intelligence agency (R&AW) cropped up. “As per Manoj Prasad, Dineshwar Prasad, his father, retired as Joint Secretary, and has close acquaintance with Doval. This was one of the first things Manoj claimed on being brought to CBI HQ and expressed complete surprise and anger as to how CBI could pick him up, despite his close links with Doval,” Mr Sinha said, adding Manoj claimed.
— PTI