Alok Verma, in his reply filed in the Delhi high court, also said that the allegations made against him by Asthana “are nothing but imagination”
New Delhi: Central Bureau of Investigation chief Alok Verma raising the stake for the investigating agency on Friday said that a “thorough probe” in Rakesh Asthana's alleged corruption case is required not only because the charges are serious but also to maintain people’s faith in the CBI.
Alok Verma, in his reply filed in the Delhi high court, also said that the allegations made against him by Asthana “are nothing but imagination”.
On October 23, the two top officers of CBI were divested of their powers by the Central Vigilance Commission, following a long-drawn feud over corruption allegations.
“Allegations are nothing but imagination of the petitioner, the petition by Asthana is not maintainable and is misconceived. Investigation are at a nascent stage. Allegations made in complaint against Asthana and others are very serious and require thorough probe,” Verma said, according to ANI.
CBI filed an FIR against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe from a businessman, who was related to controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi case. Asthana was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was probing Qureshi's case.
During the last court hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, on Thursday, answering Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi’s questions about the CBI director Alok Verma’s sudden ousting, said the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had come to the conclusion that an extraordinary situation had arisen and it needed extraordinary remedies.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.