NEW DELHI: The government is concerned over CBI writing to Central Vigilance Commission last week levelling allegations of corruption against its special director Rakesh Asthana as the charges against the Gujarat cadre IPS officer were rejected by the government at the time of his promotion in October last year.

Senior government officials said the charges against Asthana remained “unsubstantiated” as there is no preliminary enquiry, FIR or any vigilance probe against him.

Government officials disputed CBI’s claim that Asthana — the second senior-most officer in the agency after director Alok Verma — cannot represent the chief in his absence to give clearance to officials being considered for posting in the agency, saying that senior-most officer of the agency has always represented the CBI in meetings in the absence of director.

There are clear department of personnel and training (DoPT) guidelines that officers who have finished their tenure in CBI should be immediately repatriated to their parent cadres, and that a meeting of CVC be held at the earliest for the purpose.

In the present case, CVC had called a selection committee meeting on July 12, when Verma was in Uruguay for an Interpol meeting, to discuss names of some officers who needed to be inducted in the agency since four officers including two joint directors and a DIG, who were handling crucial probes, had completed their tenure.

“CVC asked for the senior-most officer available since director was not available and according to the tradition, the special director was supposed to attend the meeting. It is not the first time that a special director has looked after the charge or attended important meetings including with CVC, parliamentary committees or any ministry in director’s absence. It’s an old practice and an unwritten norm,” said an officer.

TOI spoke to at least three former CBI directors who reiterated that in case director is out of the country or is on leave, special director automatically becomes the authority, unless CBI director mentions otherwise beforehand.

“In the present dispute, CBI wrote to CVC on behalf of Alok Verma after the commission had already called a meeting,” an officer said.

Officials attribute the resistance to Asthana standing in for director in urgent official meetings when the latter was away, to the fight between them and feel the matter has stretched too far and government will have to intervene to make sure investigations in sensitive cases like frauds by Vijay Mallya , Nirav Modi , Jatin Mehta, or cases against Delhi government officials are not affected.

