Govt steps in for CBI, sends Alok Kumar Verma & Rakesh Asthana on leave

A man walks past CBI headquarters in New Delhi

With the internal tussle in the CBI between director Alok Kumar Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana refusing to wane, the Central government stepped in and amid a midnight drama sent both the warring officers on leave. The government also appointed M Nageshwar Rao as an interim acting director of the investigating agency.

Commenting on the unprecedented development, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said that the CBI director was not cooperating with the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). He said that Verma was not making available records and files sought by it related to allegations against him.

After the midnight clampdown, the Opposition targeted the BJP-led government accusing it of removing Verma, who they said had planned to order a probe into the controversial Rafale deal. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley dismissed the charges as "rubbish" saying it was done to ensure fairplay in the investigations into the bribery allegations levelled by Verma and Asthana against each other. "It is absolutely essential to restore the CBI's institutional integrity and credibility. The allegations by two top officers of the country's premier investigation agency has led to a bizarre and unfortunate situation," Jaitley said.

The Centre said the action against Verma and Asthana was taken on the recommendation of the CVC, which met on Tuesday night. The Centre divested the two officials of their functions and powers in respect of cases already registered and said they would be probed under the Prevention of Corruption Act. It said grave allegations of corruption by senior functionaries of CBI against one another had vitiated the official ecosystem of the organisation.

 

 
           

"The environment of faction feud has reached its peak in the CBI leading to a potential loss of credibility and reputation of the premier investigating agency of the government. It also vitiated the working environment of the organisation which has deep and visible impact on the overall governance," it said.

The government swung into action after the matter escalated to such an extent that Verma, allegedly to settle scores, started arresting his own men and carried out raids on the residences of Asthana and Joint Director Sai Manohar to arrest them. The CVC also said that that appointing Rao was an interim measure which will subsist till the CVC concludes its inquiry and appropriate decision is taken in the light of the probe.

Rao after taking charge transferred as many as 13 officers. Some of them were allegedly close to Verma, and were probing the bribery charges against Asthana. DSP AK Bassi, who was probing a case against Asthana and allegedly paraded and humiliated DSP Devendra Kumar after arresting in the court premises, has been moved to Port Blair in "public interest". Kumar was allegedly arrested on the insistence of Verma over allegation that he falsified the statement of the accused.

The CBI also re-constituted the team probing the case against Asthana. The agency closed down access to two floors -- eleventh and tenth -- inside the CBI headquarters, where entry is allowed only after permission from the acting director. Sources said that the agency is also checking files and records.

The CBI said that the team set up to probe allegations against Asthana will carry out an "impartial and fair inquiry" expeditiously.

"We are making efforts to have expeditious, impartial and fair inquiry in bribery case against Asthana," said CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal. He added that the team probing the allegations against Asthana has been re-constituted with best officers. SP Satish Dagar, DIG Tarun Gauba and JD V Murugesan are part of team. He also said that the CBI is functioning as a team and there is no rift within.

CAUGHT IN CROSSFIRE

Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana have levelled graft charges against each other

THE MIDNIGHT SAGA

11.15 pm  CVC meets and advises government to send Verma and Asthana on leave

11:25 pm  M Nageshwar Rao, interim head of CBI takes charge and begins clean-up

1.15 am  CBI building cordoned off by the city police

 

 
           

1.25 am  Acess to Verma’s and Asthana’s offices on 10th &11th floor closed

2 am  Rao transfers a dozen officers and changes investigating officers of several cases.

10 am  Alok Verma moves SC challenging the government’s order

TOP OFFICERS MOVED

Manish Kumar Sinha, DIG and BS&FC, New Delhi transferred to ACB Nagpur Ajay Bassi, IO in the Asthana case was transferred to ACB, Port Blair  Tarun Gauba, DIG ACB Chandigarh to replace Manish Sinha  in Delhi  Jasbir Singh, DIG special crime gets additional charge of HOB BS&FC  Anees Prasad, DIG surveillance moved to administration and personnel wing  KR Chaurasia, HoB of economic offences gets additional charge of DIG surveillance  Ram Gopal HoB, Chandigarh gets additional charge of HOB ACB Chandigarh  Satish Dagar, SP economic offences transferred to AC3  S S Gurm, additional SP CBI transferred to ACB Jabalpur  Arun Kumar Sharma, JD policy is transferred JD MDMA  Sai Manohar, head JD Chandigarh gets additional charge of SIT & TFC zone  V Murugesan, head of zone AC2 (HQ) gets additional charge of HOZ /JD AC1 (HQ)  Amit Kumar, DIG HOB EO3 gets additional charge of the office of JD policy

In the interest of fairness, both Verma and Asthana will sit out by going on leave. A SIT will probe the graft charges against themArun Jaitley, Finance Minister

My removal is patently illegal. The CBI director has a fixed two-year tenure. Alok Kumar Verma, CBI director

The CBI director Alok Verma is trying to thwart investigations in important cases. The allegations against me are false and it’s a conspiracy.Rakesh Asthana, CBI (special director)


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