You’ve Ruined your Officer’s Career: Court to CBI

NEW DELHI:
A Delhi Court while expressing dissatisfaction over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the alleged bribery case against agency”s former Special Director Rakesh Asthana and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devendra Kumar, stated that the agency has “ruined the career” of the latter.

Referring to the fact that the agency has charge sheeted its own DSP Devendra Kumar but didn”t name him as an accused, Special CBI Judge Sanjiv Aggarwal said: “You ruined the career of one of your officers in his initial days.”

The observations came in when the court was holding arguments on the point of taking cognisance over the charge sheet filed by the agency in connection with the case relating to the allegations of bribery against the agency”s former special director Rakesh Asthana and officer Devendra Kumar.

The CBI charge sheet mentions former CBI director Rajiv Asthana and another officer Devendra Kumar in column 12, that is, persons against whom sufficient evidence is not available. The CBI on October 15, 2018, had registered an FIR against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe from an accused probed by him in return for ensuring relief and a clean chit in the case.

The case against Asthana was lodged after Hyderabad-based businessman Sana in his complaint to the CBI had alleged that he paid a bribe of Rs two crore to Asthana so that he could be spared of any action in an investigation linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi.

The money was allegedly paid over a 10-month period, starting from December 2017. Sana was being investigated by an SIT team headed by Asthana when he had accused him of accepting bribes. As per Sana”s complaint, he had met Prasad, who claimed to have good relations with Asthana. Sana also alleged that Prasad”s brother, Somesh, would help him in getting a clean chit from Asthana.

Sana, a close aide of Qureshi, was arrested on July 27 last year by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

In October 2018, the battle between the then Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana became public, making the government to intervene in the matter and transfer both officers.