Court also extended relief from arrest to CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana till December 7. (File)
The Delhi High Court today allowed exiled CBI director Alok Verma and Joint Director AK Sharma to inspect the file related to case against agency's number 2 Rakesh Asthana in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC)'s office. Mr Verma's counsel has been allowed to inspect the case diary at the CVC office tomorrow at 4.30 pm. Mr Sharma can inspect the case diary on Friday.
The Delhi High Court agreed to hear Mr Verma's petition after his counsel claimed that Mr Asthana in his petition levelled "mala fide charges" against him.
The Delhi High Court also extended relief from arrest to CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana till December 7 and ordered to continue the status quo in the case till the hearing.
The court was hearing petition by Mr Asthana and suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devender Kumar's petition seeking quashing of first information reports or FIRs against them. They also claimed the cases were filed against them in an illegal manner.
The infighting between the top two of the country's main investigating agency escalated when the CBI filed a FIR against Mr Asthana.
CBI filed the FIRs against Mr Asthana, Mr Kumar and two others on a written complaint of businessman Sathish Sana on October 15. The agency in the FIR alleged that bribes were taken at least five times between December 2017 and October.
According to the FIR, Sana Sathish Babu had reportedly paid Rs 3 crore, through two middlemen -- brothers Somesh and Manoj Prasad, as bribe to a CBI officer to get relief from questioning in a money laundering case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
According to Sana Sathish Babu's statement, he went to Dubai on December 2 last year and met brothers Somesh and Manoj Prasad.
They reportedly showed him a WhatsApp photograph of the officer and made him speak to him. The person on the other side assured the businessman won't be questioned in the Moin Qureshi case if he paid Rs. 5 crore. Later, when Mr Babu looked him up on the internet, he realised he spoke to Rakesh Asthana, his statement added.
Mr Babu alleged that a part of the bribe, 1 crore, was paid in Dubai and then Rs. 1.95 crore on December 13 at Delhi's Press Club.
(With inputs from agencies)