CBI suspends its DSP Devender Kumar after court sends him to 7-day custody

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) 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.

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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.

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.

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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)