CBI vs CBI: Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge files plea in SC seeking to quash Centre's order, to send CBI director on leave

The Central Bureau of Investigation has been at the loggerheads since last month and now, Mallikarjun Kharge has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking to quash Center’s decision to send director Alok Verma on leave.

Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Filed a petition before SC requesting them to quash order of Centre because it's illegal¬ only illegal they should've called meeting of all 3-PM, CJI & me. Without meeting, without committee's consent, they overnight asked him (CBI Dir) to go on leave indefinitely.”

Leader of the Opposition, Kharge added, “It's a violation of CBI Act. CVC also violated rules, asking him to go on leave. Therefore we thought when violation is there&it's clear-cut PMO's direct involvement in autonomous bodies. So I've challenged that & I've filed a petition before SC. Let's see what happens.”

The CBI infighting began last month when director Alok Verma filed an FIR against his deputy and special director Rakesh Asthana in a bribery case. The case dates back to July 2018 when Asthana complained to the Central Vigilance Commission, with regards to the interference of director Verma in several cases.

Thereafter, the CBI headed by Alok Verma filed an FIR, making Rakesh Asthana an accused in the Moin Qureshi bribery case on the basis of a complaint by Satish Sana, who earlier was going to be arrested by the agency. But, as soon as he turned a complainant and claimed that Asthana allegedly took Rs 3 crore as bribe, the whole story changed upside down.

The tussle of power and hierarchy was not new to the two top officers of the CBI, who were already fighting a civil war with each other; an instance is when director Alok went to foreign to attend a conference organized by INTERPOL, Rakesh Asthana, unofficially and without Verma’s permission, took meetings and discussions on the director’s behalf.

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