CBI raids its own HQ

​New Delhi: In an unprecedented development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided its own headquarters in the case involving bribery charges against its Special Director Rakesh Asthana and arrested its Deputy SP Devender Kumar. 

Many reports have pointed out that Asthana has always landed plush positions because of his proximity with the top brass in the Modi government. The CBI is said to have submitted “telephone intercepts, WhatsApp messages, money trail and a statement” – all allegedly pointing towards Asthana’s culpability – to the magistrate.

Kumar, who was earlier the investigation officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, has been taken into custody on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of Sathish Sana, who had alleged to have paid bribes to get relief in the case, they said. 

It is alleged that a statement of Sana was purportedly recorded on September 26, 2018 by the investigating team headed by Asthana, but it emerged in the CBI probe that on that given day the businessman was in Hyderabad, they claimed.  In his statement, Sana had purportedly said that he had in June this year discussed his case with TDP Rajya Sabha member C M Ramesh who, after speaking to the CBI Director, had assured him that he would not be summoned again.  "From June onwards, I was not called by the CBI. I was under the impression that investigation against me is complete," he is believed to have said. 

The CBI has now alleged that Kumar had fabricated this statement as an "afterthought...to corroborate the baseless allegations made by Asthana against CBI Director Alok Verma to the CVC (Central Vigilance Commissioner)", they claimed. They said the agency was also looking into the alleged role of other members of the special investigation team headed by Asthana. 

The FIR also mentions Samant Kumar Goel, a special director at India’s premier external intelligence body, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), as aiding the illegal deal between Asthana and Qureshi. However, the CBI has not named the 1984 batch IPS officer from the Punjab cadre as an accused in the case as yet.