CBI squabbles come to fore as top officials charge each other with bribery slurs
New Delhi, Oct 21 (IBNS): The squabbles within India's federal investigation agency CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) reached a stage where the second man in the probe body has been slapped with charges of bribery, according to media reports.
An NDTV report said the dispute between CBI chief Alok Verma and his number 2 Rakesh Asthana "has escalated with the agency filing a bribery case against the latter."
Asthana has in a written statement to the government said a "false FIR (First Information Report)" has been lodged against him", the channel reported.
Asthana has been named by Satish Sana, a Hyderabad businessman, who was being investigated in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, arrested in a money laundering case, the report said.
Sana claimed he had to cough up a bribe of Rs. 2 crores to Rakesh Asthana over a period of over 10-months so that he is not named in the CBI case against Moin Qureshi.
However, Asthana rubbished the charges saying it was hurled against him owing to a conspiracy between the accuser and some CBI and Enforcement Directorate officers.
According to the report, he has alleged corrupt practices by CBI chief and his Chief Vigilance Officer Arun Sharma.
He instead alleged that the CBI chief had been paid Rs. 2 crore by Satish Sana for scuttling the probe in Moin Quereshi's case.
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