Delhi High Court dismisses CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana's plea to quash FIR in bribery case
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Asthana was booked by the CBI on October 15, 2018 on the basis of a magisterial statement recorded by a businessman Sathish Babu Sana who had claimed that two businessmen brothers had sought bribe of Rs 5 crore from him to get relief to him.
The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the plea filed by CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana seeking quashing of FIR filed against him for bribery allegations.
Justice Najmi Waziri also refused to quash the FIR lodged against CBI Deputy Superintendent Devender Kumar and alleged middleman Manoj Prasad.
The High Court stated that the probe needs to be carried out expeditiously. As per reports, Asthana seeks two weeks of protection from the arrest and to appeal in the Supreme Court but the Court refuses to grant interim protection to CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana.
The Court has asked the CBI to maintain status quo for two weeks.
Delhi HC: No doubt, registration of an FIR against a public servant will be a cause of great concern and stress for the public servant. Charges under the FIR are a matter of investigation. It is important that law presumes a person is innocent until proven guilty https://t.co/ByLr9nz4vI
— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2019
The Court has directed the CBI to conclude the investigation against Rakesh Asthana and Devender Kumar in 10 weeks.
The Court further said that the allegation of "mala fide" raised against then CBI Director Alok Verma is not made out. It also vacated its interim order granting protection to Asthana against criminal proceedings.
Justice Waziri said that permission for prior sanction to prosecute Asthana and Kumar was not required considering the facts of the case.
Delhi High Court dismisses the plea filed by CBI's Spl Director Rakesh Asthana and DySP Devender Kumar plea seeking quashing of FIR filed against them pic.twitter.com/zSmYoZlzsl
— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2019
Asthana was booked on charges of criminal conspiracy, corruption and criminal misconduct under sections of Prevention of Corruption Act.
Delhi High Court: CBI to conclude investigation against Rakesh Asthana and Devender Kumar in 10 weeks https://t.co/ByLr9nz4vI
— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2019
He was booked by the CBI on October 15, 2018 on the basis of a magisterial statement recorded by a businessman Sathish Babu Sana who had claimed that two businessmen brothers had sought bribe of Rs 5 crore from him to get relief to him in a CBI case against him using their contacts with the special director, news agency PTI reported.
Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana had also made allegations of corruption, extortion and high-handedness.
(With inputs from PTI)