Infighting in CBI turns ugly

ASTHANA HAD ALLEGED THAT CBI CHIEF VERMA TOOK THE BRIBE

Premier investigating agency books special director for accepting Rs30m bribe |

The turf war between the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana turned ugly yesterday with the investigation agency booking Asthana for accepting Rs30 million (Dh1.49) bribe to sabotage probe into a corruption case.

CBI named Asthana and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) rank CBI officer Devender Kumar in a bribery case related to businessman Sathish Sana whose name emerged during investigation in the ongoing case of controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi.

CBI’s First Information Report (FIR) against Asthana, a Gujarat cadre officer, is based on the claims of Sana, who admitted to the agency that he was asked to pay an overall bribe of Rs50 million to Asthana to get rid of the case.

Sana, a Dubai-based businessman, was being probed by the CBI for his connection with meat exporter Qureshi, who has been on the radar of multiple agencies for allegedly channelling illegal money through London and other places in Europe.

According to the FIR, Manoj Prasad, an investment banker based in Dubai, was hired by Sana to pay the bribe to Asthana. On October 16, Prasad was arrested by CBI’s Anti-Corruption Unit when he came to India to deliver the agreed bribe.

“Manoj Prasad has admitted paying bribe to Mr Rakesh Asthana. Sathish Sana also told the judicial magistrate that he had paid Rs. three crore as bribe to Mr Rakesh Asthana over a 10-month period from December last year,” the FIR stated.

However, in August this year, Asthana had alleged it was CBI chief Verma who took the bribe of Rs20 million from Sana.

He had complained to Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) accusing Verma of trying to interfere in a corruption case involving family members of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Yesterday, CBI described these allegations against its director as “false and malicious.”

Interestingly, apart from Asthana, intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing’s (Raw) second senior most officer Samant Kumar Goel also allegedly tried to facilitate closing of the case against Qureshi.