New Delhi: In a surprise move, the government on Thursday decided to move out CBI No2. Rakesh Asthana, who was involved in a bitter feud with now removed CBI director Alok Verma, from the premier investigating agency with immediate effect, said sources.
Along with Asthana, AK Sharma, MK Sinha and Jayant Naiknavare too have been removed forthwith. Sources say, the decision to move them out of the CBI was taken at a meeting held this morning at the CVC.
Asthana has now been moved to Bureau of Civil Aviation, AK Sharma will be ADG, CRPF and MK Sinha to Bureau of Police Research and Development.
On October 15, the CBI had booked Rakesh Asthana and Satish Sana Babu, a businessman from Hyderabad, for alleged corruption. Later in the day, the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had also shot off a letter to the then CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma conveying the apprehensions of Asthana of “bias and prejudice” in case of an investigation against him. Verma too slapped a counter case against Asthana.
This forced the government to step in, and late on October 23, Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana were divested of their responsibilities and an interim director was appointed.
The decision to remove Asthana from the CBI comes ahead of the PM-led selection panel's meet on January 24 to decide on new CBI director.
The government faced a lot of criticism when the PM-led selection panel decided to remove Alok Verma from the CBI boss's chair last week. The Congress questioned the urgency in removing Alok Verma, who was moved out barely a day after he was reinstated by the SC.
On Monday, the appointment of M Nageswar Rao as the interim CBI Director was challenged in the Supreme Court.
The petition filed by NGO Common Cause has sought a direction to quash the January 10 order by the Centre appointing Rao as the interim/acting Director of the CBI.
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