Knocks on Govt, CVC doors; Asthana files 2nd complaint against Alok Verma

The ugly war within the CBI has intensified as Special Director Rakesh Asthana has approached the Government and the Central Vigilance  Commission complaining that a false FIR was registered by the agency against him for the allegations of bribery levelled by CBI Director Alok Verma.

Asthana’s complaint, dated October 18 to the CVC, also marked to the Cabinet Secretary, comes soon after the CBI booked him in a bribery case on October 15 for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 2 crore from controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi. This is Asthana’a second official complaint against his boss.

In a complaint to the Cabinet Secretary on August 24, Asthana alleged that Verma had received a bribe from Satish Sana, the complainant against Asthana. Satish is also an accused in the Qureshi case. The CBI has registered a criminal case against Asthana on October 15 bearing no RC 13 (A) of 2018 under IPC Sections relating to criminal conspiracy and under various provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act on the basis of complaint filed by Satish alleging that Manoj Prasad and his brother Somesh Prasad demanded and obtained illegal gratification in lieu of stopping his further interrogation for clean chit in a CBI case.

Manoj, a resident of Dubai, was taken into custody on October 16 upon his arrival from Dubai. He was formally arrested on October 17 and is currently under police custody till October 25.

Satish, a Hyderabad-based businessman, is an accused in criminal case registered vide RC 01 of February 16, 2017 against Qureshi and others.

 “On receipt of information that Satish Babu paid illegal gratification to Sh Alok Verma, Director, CBI, the same was brought to the notice of the Cabinet Secretary by Asthana through his letter dated August 24 this year.

The CVC has initiated an enquiry and sought the relevant files from the CBI,” Asthana alleged in his plaint to the CVC.

Asthana has alleged in his letter to the CVC that Satish Babu Sana, one of the accused proposed to be arrested, attempted to flee but could not leave the country, owing to the LOC opened by SIT headed by him (Asthana). The file was submitted back on October 3 to the CBI Director answering all his queries and providing all the documents sought by DoP, the file has never returned.

“Meanwhile, Satish Babu Sana appeared before the IO on October 1, 2018. He stated that he approached Shri CM Ramesh, MP, (Rajya Sabha), TDP who in turn personally met the CBI Director. Later, CM Ramesh assured that Satish Sana would not be called again by the CBI. On October 4, ED also examined Sana,” Asthana alleged.

Meanwhile, the CBI transferred the Moin Qureshi case to JD (policy) AK Sharma “with malafide intention to shield the bribe payer and bribe receiver. It is clear that active efforts are underway to falsely implicate the undersigned (Asthan),” Asthana alleged in his second complaint to CVC on October 19. Sharma is said to have verbally ordered the flight of controversial businessman Vijay Mallya against whom a Look Out Circular (LOC) was pending.

Asthana also sought transfer of eight cases including the Moin Qureshi case to the SIT.

In his earlier complaint to the CVC on October 18, Asthana said, “On the basis of reasonable grounds and apprehension, LOC was got opened against them (Moin Qureshi and others) on May 16, 2018 as they are facing serious charges and can flee from justice, and may not return to India. During September 2018, as soon as the CVC called for relevant files including the files related to RC 2242017 A0001-AC-VI/SIT, Delhi (against Moin Qureshi and others), CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma came to know about possible allegations in the instant case.

“A proposal to arrest and (subject) custodial interrogation of Satish Babu Sana and others was submitted by the Investigating Officer (IO) on 12.09.2018, which was duly endorsed by the SP/SIT on 12.09.2018 and by JD/SIT on 20.09.2018. I also endorsed the arrest proposal on 20.09.2018 and, put up to the CBI Director for approval. However, Alok Kumar Verma, after four days, in a deviation from the procedure generally adopted by the CBI and violation of Para 12.3 of CBI (Crime) Manual, 2005, marked the arrest proposal to OP Verma, Director of Prosecution (DoP) on 24.09.2018.”

Verma marked on the file that all the statements in the case recorded by the CBI and ED be put up before the DoP who will give an opinion on the arrest of the accused Satish Sana and others, Asthana said.