NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission CVC ) has started a fact-finding probe on a complaint against CBI director Alok Verma filed by his second-in-command Rakesh Asthana ET has learnt that the complaint was first made to the government, which then referred the matter to the CVC after detailed consultations.Sources said it was felt that the Commission as a statutory body responsible for the implementation of the Prevention of Corruption Act was best placed to deal with a complaint against the head of the agency responsible for investigating high-profile corruption cases.The CVC, as per due process, has initiated the preliminary exercise of examining facts of the allegations mentioned in the complaint and whether they are sound enough to launch any formal inquiry. If not, sources said, the matter can even be dismissed at this stage after prima facie examination.Asthana has alleged that the CBI director has sought to impede his functioning, interfere in investigations and malign his reputation on the basis of unverified facts. As special director, Asthana heads a Special Investigation Team that is probing high-profile cases such as the Kingfisher and AgustaWestland investigations, among others.While Verma declined to speak on the matter, sources close to the CBI director dismissed the allegations as a “pack of lies”. Both officials have had a series of differences over the past year.A key element in the complaint, the sources cited said, is a serious allegation that Verma had apparently asked Asthana to call off the planned raids against RJD supremo Lalu Prasad in Patna last year at the eleventh hour when raiding teams were already in place. The CBI, which is investigating alleged irregularities in the award of IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation) contracts, did conduct the raids after Asthana apparently stood his ground.The whistleblower in the IRCTC case recently approached the Supreme Court seeking departmental action against the CBI director. The SC, however, observed that such a petition must first be filed in the high court.This along with several other specific instances brought out in the complaint are now being carefully examined by CVC chief KV Chowdary and his fellow commissioners. ET has reliably learnt that CVC has already got in touch with the CBI and is examining the merits of the complaint.This is, perhaps, the first time that the CBI director’s office has come under the CVC’s scrutiny. The root of this complaint lies in the bitter fight between Verma and Asthana, which has already forced Chowdary to explain himself in the Supreme Court over Asthana’s promotion to the post of special director last year.At that point, Verma sent a note to Chowdary who heads the panel for selection and promotion of CBI officers.He had alleged that Asthana’s name had cropped up in a diary recovered from the Sandesara brothers during an income tax raid.The CVC upheld the promotion after it concluded that the allegations were unfounded. Despite this, the matter was challenged in the SC, which ruled in CVC’s favour.A few months back, Verma wrote to the CVC that Asthana cannot represent the CBI director at meetings where decisions on selection, extension and promotion of CBI officers are to be taken.As ET reported earlier, Asthana had also apprised the government of progress in cases under his watch following a complaint by Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy that the agency was holding up investigations in key cases.