CBI sleuth files plea in SC: ‘Moved to bail out Asthana’

THE SC ORDERED POLICE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO SATHISH BABU SANA, ON WHOSE COMPLAINT CBI LODGED CASE AGAINST SPECIAL DIRECTOR ASTHANA

NEW DELHI: Ajay Kumar Bassi, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) anti-corruption cell and a member of the team probing allegations against CBI special director Rakesh Asthana, approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday alleging threat to his life and “attempts to bail out Asthana” by the federal investigation agency.

Bassi was among the officers who were transferred out of Delhi in the predawn transfer orders issued by the Centre on October 23 – an unprecedented shake-up witnessed in the premier agency. He was moved to Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

His lawyer, Sunil Fernandes, mentioned the petition before a bench led by CJI Gogoi, which agreed to fix a date for hearing.

In another matter connected with the case, the SC ordered Hyderabad Police to provide adequate protection to Sathish Babu Sana, on whose complaint CBI registered a case against Asthana. Sana has accused Asthana of corrupt practices.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi turned down Sana’s request to quash the summons issued by CBI asking him to appear before it. His plea that instead of CBI his statement should be recorded by former top court judge justice AK Patnaik, too, was declined. Justice Patnaik is supervising a Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) probe against CBI director Alok Verma against whom Asthana has made allegations, leading to a bitter feud between the two senior officers, eventually prompting the Centre to intervene and divest them of their duties.

Last week, the court entrusted the task to the former judge. “Justice Patnaik knows his job and no direction needs to be passed in this regard,” CJI Gogoi told Sana’s counsel.