Delhi High Court dismisses CBI special director Rakesh Asthana’s plea seeking quashing of FIR against him

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a plea filed by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special director Rakesh Asthana. The senior CBI official had sought quashing of FIR filed against him. News agency ANI reported that the High Court also dismissed the plea filed by CBI Deputy Superintendent Police Devender Kumar.

The CBI had filed an FIR against Rakesh Asthana, where he was accused of accepting a bribe from a businessman related to controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi case. Asthana had allegedly accepted the bribe while heading the special investigation team (SIT) investigation the case.

The case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana on October 15.  In his complaint, Sana had alleged to have paid a bribe to get relief in the case. Sana had also made allegations of corruption, extortion, high-handedness and serious malpractices against Asthana. 

The setback for Asthana comes a day after a high-powered committee, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and comprising Supreme Court judge Justice AK Sikri and veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, decided by a 2:1 majority to remove Alok Verma as the CBI chief.

Verma has, however, objected to the decision of the committee, saying he was transferred on basis of false, unsubstantiated and frivolous allegations.

Meanwhile on Thursday, CBI DIG MK Sinha, who was supervising the probe against Rakesh Asthana, recused himself from taking charge of the investigation.

(With Agency inputs)