Both the senior most officers of CBI sent on leave, Nageshwar Rao takes over as interim chief. Probe given to CVC.

The premier investigating agency of the country, the Central Bureau of Investigation seems to be in real mess with both of its most senior officers, the Director CBI Alok Verma and the special director Rakesh Asthana, also the chief of the SIT investigating the most controvertial high profile cases of Lalu Yadav, Moin Qureshi, Augustha West Land choppers and banking frauds sent on long leave and their investigations handed over to the Central Vigilance Commission.

It’s for the first time in the history of the CBI that the top boss Alok Verma and an officer, a grade lesser then him have been publicly accusing each other for allegedly accepting the bribe to the tune of crores ( though still unauthenticated n investigations on) in one of the ongoing cases in which a DSP Devendra Kumar has also been arrested n remanded to judicial custody.

Several officers relating to the investigation against the special director Asthana of the rank of the DSP have been transffered elsewhere to maintain transparency in the investigations, reveal sources.

The union finance minister Arun Jaitley addressing the media said that in order to maintin the dignity, prestige and reputation of the premier investigating agency it was necessary to hand over the probe of this unfortunate episode to the central vigilance commission as its the solely entitled constitutional body to investigate matters pertaining to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

It may be recalled that the supreme court of India once termed the CBI as the caged parrot allegedly working on the dictates, whims and fancies of the ruling political dispensations and the oposition parties have usually been accusing the governments in power of misusing the agency for its vested political ends to harrass the political opponents and vice versa.

All the major and serious cases of national and international significance pertaining to India particularly of banking n monetary frauds, embezellement of funds, high scale corruption,alleged commissions in some global defence deals, complex matters not within the range of police or other law enforcing agencies to investigate are handed over to CBI considering it to resolve the most vexed and complicated cases.

The outgoing CBI director has a just a day ago met the prime minister and acquainted him about the matter of alleged corruption and bribery against the former SIT chief and special director Rakesh Asthana pertaining to the case of Moin Quereshi and was assured by the PM that the law will take its own course.

Meanwhile fearing his arrest and possible suspension Rakesh Asthana a Gujarat cadre IPS has gone to the Delhi High Court to seek reprieve till October 29th to maintain status quo while one of the DSP working with him Devender Kumar has been arrested for his alleged complicity in the fishy deal and remanded to CBI custody.

According the latest development however Mr.Nageshwar has today been given the charge as the interim CBI chief.

Mr. Nageshwar Rao is the joint director in CBI and is the 1986 batch Orissa Cadre IPS. He primarily belongs to the Warangal district of Telengana.

The union finance minister Arun Jaitley has termed these developments of accusations and counter accusations of bribery charges against each other in full media glare by the two responsible officers as unfortunate and uncalled for and said that the handing over of the inquiry in the matter of these two officers was necessary to be investigated by the CVC as the prestige and honour of the premier investigating agency was at stake.

He added that in case these officers are found clean after the enquiry they can resume their respective dutuies with honour n respect but pending enquiry they’ll be on leave.

According to sources, if one goes in the past, the Income Tax Department while investigating the cases of one Sandesara Group’s company Sterling Biotech found a diary during the raid which mentioned the names of several officers, bureaucrats and political leaders who received bribes from them.

The diary allegedly mentioned the name of the Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana who’s been on influential posts in Vadodara, Surat and Ahmadabad. He was also the member of the SIT that gave clean chit to several influential leaders of the Gujarat in connection with the Godhara case.

It is said that despite the written opposition of the then director CBI , Rakesh Asthana was accomodated in the premier investigating agency.

Today he is again at the centre of controversy in an alleged corruption case of high magnitude. The entire media is openly highlighting news about his alleged complicity in the Moin Qureshi’s case with former Director Alok Verma even meeting the prime minister and apprising the latter of the corruption charges against Asthana while Asthana charges Alok of taking the alleged bribe. Sounds interesting. What’s your take friends?