CVC begins probe in graft charges against Alok Verma, examines CBI officials
New Delhi: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on Tuesday examined some CBI officials probing crucial cases which figured in Special Director Rakesh Asthana's complaint of corruption against the probe agency's chief Alok Verma, officials said.
Officials from the rank of inspector up to the superintendent of police of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were called and their versions were recorded before a senior official of the CVC, they said.
The officials who recorded their statements on Tuesday include those who handled the Moin Qureshi bribery case, the IRCTC scam, involving former railway minister Lalu Yadav, the cattle smuggling case in which a senior BSF officer was caught with wands of cash in Kerala, according to the officials.
These officials were called from the CBI headquarters in the national capital and some from zonal offices, including Kochi, they said requesting anonymity.
The officials were asked to give details of the cases in whose probe, the charges of alleged interference by Verma have come up, the officials said.
The development comes after Supreme Court on Friday asked the CVC that exercises superintendence over the CBI in corruption matters to complete within two weeks its inquiry into allegations against Verma levelled by Asthana.
The two feuding officers, who have alleged each other of impropriety, have been sent on leave by the Centre.
The Supreme Court had directed that the CVC's inquiry into the allegations against Verma, who has challenged the government's decision divesting him of his duties and sending him on leave, would be conducted under the supervision of retired apex court judge Justice A K Patnaik and this was a "one-time exception".
The feud between Verma and Asthana escalated recently leading to registration of an FIR against Asthana and others including Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, who is in the CBI custody in an alleged bribery case.
The CBI had on October 15 registered an FIR against Asthana for allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs 2 crore from Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Sathish Babu which was given through two middlemen Manoj Prasad and Somesh Prasad to sabotage the probe against meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
On August 24, Rakesh Asthana, in his complaint to the Cabinet Secretary, had levelled allegations against Verma that he got a bribe of Rs two crore from Sana to help him get some relief from questioning in the matter.
