CBI vs CBI: Officer Probing Asthana Transferred to Andamans

Rao who took charge as the CBI director, overhauled the team probing allegations of corruption against Asthana.

In a midnight move, the government on Tuesday, 23 October, sent Director Alok Verma, along with Asthana, on temporary “leave”.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Video Editor: Vivek Gupta

Video Producer: Shohini Bose

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is imploding following a series of allegations of bribery against former Special Director Rakesh Asthana.

In a midnight move, the government on Tuesday, 23 October, sent Director Alok Verma, along with Asthana, on temporary “leave”, something that has raised serious concerns of the Centre overstepping it’s jurisdiction and jeopardising the independence of the agency.

As an interim measure, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given charge of the CBI to Joint Director M Nageswar Rao, an Odisha-cadre officer, with immediate effect, a government order said.

“The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved that during the period of the subsistence of the aforesaid interim measure...M Nageshwar (sic) Rao, IPS, presently working as Joint Director, CBI, shall look after duties and functions of Director, CBI, and shall take over duties and functions with immediate effect,” it read.

After taking over last night, Rao overhauled the team probing allegations of corruption against Asthana. There have been changes from the investigation officer to supervisory levels.

Rao, a 1986-batch Odisha cadre IPS officer, who took charge as the CBI director late last night, appointed Satish Dagar as Superintendent of Police to probe the case.

Dagar has in the past probed cases against Dera Sachcha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, reported PTI.

His first supervisor will be DIG Tarun Gauba, who had probed Vyapam cases. At joint director-level, V Murugesan has been brought in.

The previous investigating officer, Deputy SP AK Bassi, has been shunted to Port Blair in "public interest" with "immediate effect".

Here’s a full list of transfers that have take place amid the legal battle between Verma and Asthana.

1. Manish Kumar Sinha, DIG, AC3 and BS&FC, New Delhi. Transferred to ACB Nagpur
2. Tarun Gauba, DIG, ACB, Chandigarh. Transferred to AC3 Delhi to replace Manish Sinha
3. Jasbir Singh, DIG, Special Crime to hold additional charge of HOB BS&FC
4. Anees Prasad, DIG, Surveillance Unit posted from surveillance unit 1 to the administration and personnel wing
5. KR Chaurasia, HOD of economic offences 1, to hold additional charge of DIG surveillance unit 1
6. Ram Gopal HOB of SCB Chandigarh to hold additional charge of HOB ACB Chandigarh
7. Satish Dagar SP economic offences 3 is transferred to AC3
8. AK Bassi DY SP CBI AC3 transferred to Port Blair Anti-Corruption Branch
9. SS Gurm addition SP CBI AC3 Delhi transferred to ACB Jabalpur
10. Arun Kumar Sharma JD policy is transferred to JD MDMA
11. A Sai Manohar head of zone / JD Chandigarh with hq in Delhi to hold additional charge of SIT and TFC zone
12. V Murugesan head of zone AC2 (HQ) to hold additional charge of HOZ /JD AC1 (HQ)
13. Amit Kumar DIG HOB EO3 to hold additional charge of the office of JD policy

(With inputs from PTI)