CBI officer probing FIR against Special Director Rakesh Asthana moves Supreme Court, denied urgent hearing

A CBI officer, who was probing the FIR lodged against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of his transfer to Nagpur in Maharashtra. However, he was denied an urgent hearing. Manish Kumar Sinha, an IPS officer who was part of the investigation team probing Asthana’s role in an alleged corruption case, mentioned his plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for an urgent hearing on Tuesday. 

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The bench also comprising Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph is scheduled to hear on Tuesday the plea of CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the government’s decision of divesting him of duties and sending him on leave.

He has alleged that he was transferred to Nagpur and as a result has been taken out from the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana.

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Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave by the central government following his ongoing feud with the CBI Director.
The CBI had booked Asthana on allegations of receiving a bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi.