LIVE | Supreme Court to hear Alok Verma's plea challenging decision of sending him on leave on Oct 26

In an unprecedented move by the Central government, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana were sent on leave till further notice and their offices were sealed on Wednesday. Joint Director M Nageshwar Rao, a 1986 batch officer, took charge as the interim chief of the investigaing agency with immediate effect. 

He will "look after duties and functions of director CBI and shall take over the duties and functions with immediate effect," said a government order put out on Tuesday night.

The order followed a recommendation by Chief Vigilance Commissioner that the CBI's warring top two be sent on compulsory wait, as per reports in NDTV. According to sources, the CBI building was sealed and neither staff nor outsiders were being allowed. According to CBI sources, there will be no movement of officials or files at Verma and Asthana's office till 2 pm.

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The order implies that the government has sidelined all the three additional directors number three in the agency's hierarchy, including AK Sharma, whose name had figured in the complaint by Asthana.

The CBI had on Tuesday suspended its deputy superintendent of police Devender Kumar, who is facing bribery allegations involving the agency's second-in-command Rakesh Asthana. Earlier in the day, Kumar, who was arrested by the agency on Monday, was sent to a seven-day CBI custody.

Kumar, earlier the investigating officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, was arrested on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of businessman Sathish Sana, who had alleged to have paid bribe to get relief in the case.

In his statement, Sana had purportedly said that he had in June this year discussed his case with Telugu Desam Party's Rajya Sabha member CM Ramesh who, after speaking to the CBI Director, had assured him that he would not be summoned again.

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On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court directed the CBI to maintain status quo on the criminal proceedings initiated against Rakesh Asthana, who has challenged the FIR lodged against him on bribery allegations.

Although the CBI cannot arrest Asthana till October 29, the next date of hearing, the high court clarified that there is no stay on the probe considering the nature and gravity of the case.

Besides Asthana, Kumar has also filed a separate petition seeking quashing of the FIR. Justice Najmi Waziri issued notices and sought responses of the probe agency and its Director Alok Kumar Verma as also Joint Director AK Sharma on both the petitions.

(With PTI inputs)