Court accepts clean chit to CBI’s former No. 2 Asthana

On Saturday, a CBI Court took cognizance of the CBI’s chargesheet in a bribery case in which the agency’s Ex-Special Director Rakesh Asthana was given a clean chit.

“There is no sufficient ground to proceed against Rakesh Asthana & DSP Devender Kumar. We will see if anything comes in future investigation being conducted by the CBI,” said Special Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR against Asthana on the basis of a complaint from Hyderabad-based businessman Satish Babu Sana, facing investigation in a 2017 case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi. Sana’s allegations of bribery against Asthana triggered a war within the CBI, particularly between then director Alok Verma & his number 2, Asthana. 

The chargesheet, filed on Feb 11, had only arraigned alleged middleman Manoj Prasad as accused. Asthana & CBI DSP Devender Kumar, who was arrested in 2018 & later got bail, were named in column 12 of the chargesheet since there wasn't enough evidence to make them accused.

The Court took cognizance of the chargesheet & said there are “sufficient grounds to proceed against accused Manoj, his brother Someshwar Prasad & father-in-law Sunil Mittal.”

The Court has now summoned both Someshwar & Mittal & asked them to appear on April 13.

The Court took cognizance of the offences under Indian Penal Code Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) read with 420 (cheating), 385 (extortion), & Sections 7 (expecting to be a public servant) & 8 (taking gratification) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

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