CBI DIG: Efforts made to divert Asthana probe

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Sinha claims suggest illegal CBI intercepts under Verma

Officer’s allegations baseless: Union mantri

NEW DELHI: Challenging his transfer to Nagpur, CBI DIG Manish Kumar Sinha on Monday moved the Supreme Court and levelled allegations at Union junior minister Haribhai P Chaudhary, NSA Ajit Doval , RAW special secretary Samant Goel, law secretary Suresh Chandra and even the cabinet secretariat for alleged interference in the probe into a bribery case against CBI special director Rakesh Asthana .Claiming that he was part of the team investigating the PNB scam involving jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, Sinha said he had personal knowledge of interference in the probe against Asthana by Doval and payment of a “few crores of rupees” to MoS coal and mines Chaudhary to allegedly intervene with CBI officers through the department of personnel and training.CBI DIG Manish Kumar Sinha ’s explosive allegations against Union minister Haribhai P Chaudhary, NSA Ajit Doval and others, are being seen as part of infighting in the agency that has stained the government’s image, although the officer claimed he was neutral in the battle between CBI chief Alok Verma and his deputy, Rakesh Asthana.He said concerted efforts were made to change the course of investigation in the FIR against Asthana.Sinha also made submissions on Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana’s claim about the latter’s meeting with CVC K V Chowdary , through one of the CVC’s relatives, to intervene through Asthana in the Moin Qureshi case. Sinha alleged the involvement of RAW special secretary Samant Goel and law secretary Suresh Chandra, and the “inquisitiveness” of the cabinet secretariat, on the arrest of Manoj Prasad. Sana’s name is central to the case against meat trader Qureshi and Prasad has been named as an alleged middleman.In an attack on CVC Chowdary, who along with vigilance commissioners T M Bhasin and Sharad Kumar gave a “not-so-complimentary” report on Verma to the SC , Sinha said, “As per Sana, (after his meeting with the CVC) the CVC called Asthana to his residence and made inquiries. Asthana informed the CVC that there is not much in evidence against them. There is no illegality in this, but the same is put on record here for the sake of completeness. No verification was undertaken and the same is based on disclosure made by Sana.”While Sinha sought an SC monitored CBI probe into the FIR registered against Asthana, he detailed investigations carried out in his supervision by IO A K Bassi and superintendent of police S S Gurm into the FIR registered on October 15 based on Sana’s claims.The FIR, mentioned by Sinha, was registered two months after Asthana sent a complaint to the cabinet secretary alleging that Sana’s telephone intercepts showed he had paid a bribe of Rs 2 crore to Verma in alleged connivance of TDP MP C M Ramesh. Asthana had also cited other alleged irregularities committed by Verma in complicity with other officers.Earlier, two CBI officers — A K Bassi and Ashwini Kumar Gupta had in quick succession, but in milder terms, alleged they were transferred out of Delhi to prevent them from zeroing in on clues behind Sana’s allegation that he was forced to pay Rs 2.95 crore for relief in the Qureshi case.Minister of State for Coal Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary Monday termed as “baseless and malicious” the allegations levelled against him by senior CBI officer M K Sinha, saying he would quit politics if they were proven to be true. The Union minister, in a statement, said he did not know the businessman.“Certain absolutely false and baseless allegations have been made against me. I neither know, nor have I met Sathish Babu Sana, who is alleged to have paid me a bribe,” he said.“I only came to know from various media reports that an affidavit has been filed in SC mentioning this matter. I condemn this malicious attempt to malign my reputation. I welcome any enquiry into this matter and the law should take its own course. If I am proven guilty, I am willing to leave politics,” he said.