The rift began as a CBI investigation into the Moin Qureshi corruption case and evolved into a controversy involving both bribery allegations against both Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been in a crisis these past few weeks. Although behind the scenes earlier, the infighting between CBI Director Alok Verma and his deputy, Special Director Rakesh Asthana, is now out in the open, with the agency's top two pointing fingers and each alleging that the other accepted bribes from the same man accused in a case the agency is investigating. The CBI saga, which began as an investigation into a corruption case against meat exporter Moin Qureshi, has since evolved into a controversy involving various government and judicial authorities, with both Verma and Asthana being asked to go on leave. M Nageshwar Rao was also appointed the interim CBI director. Here is a timeline of how the Verma versus Asthana battle in the CBI unfolded: 15 October: — The CBI registered a case of bribery against Asthana, on the basis of a complaint by Sathish Sana, an accused in the Moin Qureshi case. Asthana is accused of taking Rs 3 crore as a bribe from Sana. Asthana's second in command, CBI Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devender Kumar was also named in the FIR in the bribery case for allegedly forging documents related to Sana's statement. Dubai-based investment banker Manoj Prasad and his brother Somesh Prasad are also named in the FIR. 16 October: — The investigating agency arrested Manoj Prasad, believed to be a middleman in the case, when he returned from Dubai. 19 October: — Asthana wrote to the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), informing him that he wanted to arrest and interrogate Sana, for which a proposal was sent to Verma on 20 September. In the letter, he has also referred to his communication to the Cabinet secretary on 24 August, in which he detailed alleged irregularities against the CBI director. Asthana claimed that Verma had held the file for nearly four days. He had also marked the letter to the Director of Prosecution on 24 September, who then demanded all evidence available on record, sources said. 22 October: — The CBI raided its own headquarters in Delhi and then arrested Kumar. The investigating agency claimed that Kumar allegedly fabricated a statement by Sana in the Moin Qureshi case. The CBI also alleged that the statement was fabricated with a plan to "corroborate the baseless allegations made by Asthana against Verma to the CVC". 23 October: — Kumar was produced before a special court in Delhi and remanded in CBI custody for seven days. Earlier the same day, Kumar had moved the Delhi High Court, seeking to have his arrest in the matter quashed. The CBI told the court it had discovered "incriminating documents and evidence" in raids conducted on his office and home on 20 and 21 October. The agency had sought 10-day custody of Kumar and alleged that he was running an "extortion racket" under the "guise of an investigation". — The same day, Asthana had also approached the Delhi High Court seeking interim relief in the bribery case, claiming that the criminal investigation against him was on "flimsy grounds" and motivated. However, the counsel representing the CBI said: "The charges against the accused, including that of bribery and criminal conspiracy, are very serious. The charges (have been framed) under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Charges of extortion and forgery will also be added." The court posted the matter for hearing on 29 October and ruled that till then, status quo should be maintained and Verma should respond to Asthana's allegations. — Late in the evening, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued orders divesting both Asthana and Verma of their roles at the CBI. It is the first such case in the history of the investigating agency. 23-24 October: — In a midnight order, the CVC had recommended sending both Verma and Asthana on leave and the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the bribery allegations against both of them. Verma is accused of taking Rs 2 crore as a bribe from Sana. — The DoPT released another directive, after the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet decided to give interim responsibility of the CBI director's post to Joint Director M Nageswara Rao, a 1986-batch IPS officer of the Odisha cadre, with immediate effect. 24 October: — Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said after a Cabinet briefing that an SIT will look into the charges against Verma and Asthana, and both officers will "sit out" the duration of the investigation, adding that they have been sent on leave as an interim measure. Jaitley had said it is absolutely essential to restore the agency's institutional integrity and credibility. — Verma moved the Supreme Court, challenging the government's orders stripping him off his duties at the agency and appointing an interim chief in his place. He sought to have the orders removing him from the post of CBI director quashed, calling them "patently illegal". The Supreme Court scheduled the hearing for Friday, 26 October. In his petition, Verma emphasised the need to allow the CBI "to function completely independently and autonomously", but said: "There are bound to be occasions when certain investigations into high functionaries do not take the direction that may be desirable to the government." This is a significant remark, given the allegations that Verma was removed from his post for "asking too many questions" about the Rafale fighter jet deal. — The CBI overhauled the team investigating the allegations of corruption against Asthana, bringing in completely new faces. The transfers reflected changes made right from the investigation officer level to supervisory levels. CBI Deputy Inspector General Tarun Gauba, Superintendent of Police Satish Dagar and Joint Director V Murugesan will now investigate the charges against Asthana. — The CVC justified its decision to recommend divesting Verma of his responsibilities at the CBI, saying it made the decision after considering "the extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances" at the investigating institution.<doc-sep>Centre sends CBI director Alok Verma on leave, appoints Nageshwar Rao as new interim chief NEW DELHI: The government on Wednesday sent CBI director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana on leave and appointed M Nageshwar Rao as interim chief of the probe agency "with immediate effect".The government's move to appoint Rao as interim CBI chief comes a day after high-voltage drama involving director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana in the Delhi high court . But, the two have never been on good terms while serving in the agency, with each accusing the other of wrongdoing.We take a look at the bitter feud in the agency. Here is how it all started:* The rift between Verma and Asthana dates back to October 2017 when Verma, during a meeting of the five-member CVC, objected to Asthana's promotion as special director. * Verma believed Asthana had scuttled induction of officers recommended by him. He also alleged that CBI had come across Asthana's role in the Sterling Biotech case. The panel rejected the objection and Asthana was promoted. The SC too, gave the clean chit to Asthana. * On July 12, while Verma was abroad, CVC called a meeting to discuss promotions in the CBI in which Asthana was invited as the No. 2 in the agency. Verma wrote to CVC saying he has not authorised Asthana to attend meetings on his behalf. * On August 24, Asthana wrote to CVC and cabinet secretary giving details of alleged corruption by Verma, his right-hand man additional director AK Sharma and their efforts to save several accused persons. Asthana claimed Sathish Babu Sana , Hyderabad-based businessman had paid Rs 2 crore to Verma to save himself in the Moin Qureshi case. * Last week, Asthana again wrote to the CVC and the cabinet secretary and said he wanted to arrest Sana last month but Verma scuttled the proposal. He claimed that in February, when his team tried to question Sana, he got a call from Verma instructing not to do so. * By this time, Verma had taken Asthana off important probes, including Delhi government cases, IRCTC scam, probe against P Chidambaram and others, and handed them to Sharma. Asthana's staff officer was also transferred. * On October 4, the CBI got Sana to record a statement before a magistrate against Asthana, in which he claimed to have paid him Rs 3 crore over a 10-month period. * On October 15, the CBI filed a case against Asthana for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 3 crore from Sana. * On Tuesday, the Delhi high court directed the CBI to maintain status quo on the criminal proceedings initiated against the agency's special director Asthana and a trial court sent an arrested mid-level officer facing bribery charges to seven-day remand. * Both Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana sent on leave on October 24.<doc-sep>New Delhi: In a dramatic, overnight decision that underlines just how damaging the corruption case filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation is proving for his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has acted to remove director Alok Verma from his post. Verma and CBI’s second in-charge Rakesh Asthana – who has been accused by the CBI of bribery and extortion – have both been asked to go on leave. A press release from the government noted that the appointments committee of cabinet has asked the agency’s joint director, M. Nageshwar Rao, to hold temporary charge of the CBI. While initial report said Verma’s offices were sealed and searched, the CBI later issued a statement clarifying that no office in the headquarter was sealed. Verma’s ouster has sent shockwaves across the bureaucracy. Unlike most officials in the Centre, he has a fixed tenure of two years and is due to retire only at the end of January 2019. Indeed, the CBI director is meant to enjoy a protected tenure precisely in order to insulate him or her from pressure or interference, and especially a sacking order that may be politically motivated. Last week, an FIR was registered against special director Asthana, the number 2 man in the CBI, by the agency in a bribery case. Many reports have pointed out that Asthana has always landed plush positions because of his proximity with the top brass in the Narendra Modi government. Also read: Full Text of FIR Against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana for Bribery The Ministry of Personnel’s notification read, “The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved that during the period of the subsistence of the aforesaid interim measure, cited in reference above, Shri M Nageshwar Rao, IPS, presently working as Joint Director, CBI shall look after duties and functions of Director CBI and shall take over the duties and functions with immediate effect.” According to PTI, the CBI’s office was sealed in the morning and nobody was allowed to enter the building. The CBI denied this. CBI sources later clarified to The Wire that a contingent of the Delhi police had been deployed in the building to ensure the handover from Verma to Rao took place “smoothly”. On Monday, reports said the Prime Minister’s Office had summoned both Verma and Asthana – who had earlier accused Verma of taking bribes – on Monday to sort the matter amicably. The tussle between the two top officials has tarnished the image of the agency, the PMO is said to have conveyed to them. Also read: CBI vs CBI Reflects Rot at the Top of Political Leadership Asthana was stripped of all his responsibilities at the agency on Tuesday. He approached the Delhi high court on Tuesday, asking the court to quash the FIR against him. The court had asked the agency to to maintain “status quo” until Monday on proceedings. CBI deputy superintendent of police Devendra Kumar had also been arrested for “faslification of records” in connection with the bribery allegations against Asthana. #NageshwarRao is an IPS officer from Odisha cadre, joined CBI as joint director, promoted to additional director this year. A chemistry post graduate from Osmania University, did his research in Madras IIT, before joining the IPS in 1986. #CBIvCBI @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/GO4amkNGSG — rahul tripathi (@rahultripathi) October 24, 2018 Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said the Verma’s removal was “illegal” and that it will be challenged legally. Breaking! As feared&suspected, the govt has removed the Director CBI from his charge, because he was pursuing corrupt Spl Director Rakesh Asthana who was foisted on CBI by PMO despite his being investigated by the CBI itself in corruption cases.Totally illegal. Will be Challenged pic.twitter.com/KyZgEUBpyF — Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) October 24, 2018 Bhushan and former Union ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha have filed a complaint with the CBI accusing PM Modi of “criminal misconduct” in the renegotiated Rafale deal. Verma met with the trio, which is said to have upset Modi. The best way to keep news free and independent is to crowdfund it. Just Rs 7 per day from readers like you will keep The Wire going. To support The Wire, click here. The FIR in the case against Asthana had been filed by Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana on October 15. Sana had alleged that Asthana and Devender Kumar had received illegal gratification through private persons Manoj and Somesh Prasad for giving relief in a money laundering case against exporter Moin Qureshi. ﻿ SC to hear on Verma’s plea on October 26 The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear on October 26 the plea of divested CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the Centre’s decision sending him on leave. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph considered the submission of Verma that his plea against the Centre’s decision to send him on leave required urgent hearing. The CBI chief has also challenged the decision to appoint joint director M. Nageshwar Rao as head of the probe agency.<doc-sep>Instead of suspending Rakesh Asthana, it seems that the PM is trying to send the CBI Director Verma on leave! PM has no authority to send CBI director on leave as his tenure is protected. It is not CBI vs CBI. It is CBI versus a corrupt officer planted in the CBI by the PMO. https://t.co/b1PH5h1WgC<doc-sep>
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana were divested of all duties late in the night following a feud between the two. Joint director M Nageswar Rao, a 1986-batch Orissa-cadre officer, who was asked to take over as acting chief immediately, in his first order, removed the entire team probing the bribery case against Asthana, including Ajay Bassi, the investigation officer (IO) and deputy inspector general Manish Sinha. (Follow live updates here) Meanwhile, Verma has moved the Supreme Court challenging his removal and the appointment of a new director. The court has listed the matter for hearing on Friday. In an order at 2:30 am on Wednesday served at Verma’s residence, the government said he was being divested of all responsibilities, said an official familiar with the development. Before being divested of all responsibilities as the CBI chief, Verma too had signed an order at 9pm on Tuesday divesting his deputy Rakesh Asthana of all responsibilities. The bribery case against Asthana was under the anti-corruption headquarters zone, which was under the powerful joint director AK Sharma. He too has been transferred internally. Asthana in his complaint to the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) had alleged that the investigating officer Bassi was acting at the behest of director Alok Verma. Read | Boss trying to frame me, CBI No. 2 Rakesh Asthana tells court The CVC, which has superintendence over the CBI in corruption cases, and is already seized of the complaint by Asthana against the director and the counter FIR registered against him by the CBI, will seek a fair and impartial probe into the charges and counter charges. More changes in the investigation agency are being effected by the interim director to ensure a fair and impartial probe. Asthana, the second senior-most officer in the federal agency who has been accused of taking bribes, had secured protection from arrest from the high court, which ordered a ‘status quo’ until the next hearing on October 29. In a counter-allegation, Asthana in a complaint to the cabinet secretary on August 24 had alleged that Verma had received a bribe of Rs 2 crore from a Hyderabad-based real estate agent Sathish Sana whose role was being investigated by a team led by Asthana in a bribery case allegedly involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi. He had also alleged that Verma had called him over phone in February to not call Sana for questioning. In a surprising and unprecedented move on October 15, the CBI has booked Asthana and investigation officer of the case on the charges for receiving bribe from Sana through middlemen Manoj Prasad and Somesh Prasad. The CBI has arrested Devender Kumar, the Dy SP and investigation officer, alleging that he had fabricated the statement of Sana purportedly claiming that a Rajya Sabha MP had met Verma on his pending case and assured him of relief and a clean chit. There were reports that the CBI headquarters had been sealed and officials or outsiders were not being allowed as a team of officers was inside, the sources said, according to news agency PTI. However, the CBI spokesman clarified that no offices in the headquarters were sealed. Political Row The removal of the director triggered a political row, with opposition leaders criticising the move and Congress wondering if Verma was “sacked” for his keenness to probe the “layers of corruption” in the Rafale scam and sought an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 3/n PM Modi has demonstrated the true colour of his infamous ‘Modi Made Gujarat Model’ by this cloak-and-dagger mugging of CBI. Has the CBI Director been sacked for his keenness to probe the layers of corruption in Rafale Scam? Isn’t the rest a shoddy cover up? Let PM answer! pic.twitter.com/80ckyFiOJX — Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) October 24, 2018 CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, chief ministers of Delhi and West Bengal Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee also criticised the move. Finance minister Arun Jaitley rubbished the opposition charges, saying the two officers (Verma and Asthana) were sent on leave to maintain integrity of the probe, which would be done by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), and not the government.