After Rakesh Asthana moves high court against FIR, court orders status quo on criminal proceedings against him; says no stay on ongoing investigation
Rakesh Asthana and Devender Kumar. Pics/PTI
Hours after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Director Rakesh Asthana moved the Delhi high court against the lodging of an FIR against him in a bribery case, the court directed the CBI to maintain status quo on the criminal proceedings initiated against him. The HC clarified that there was no stay on the ongoing probe.
Justice Najmi Waziri also sought response of the probe agency and its Director Alok Kumar Verma as also Joint Director A K Sharma on the separate pleas of Asthana and Deputy Superintendent Devender Kumar, arrested in the bribery case. The notice has also been issued to Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which is the administrative arm of the CBI. The order asking the agency to maintain the status quo has been issued on the plea of Asthana only.
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The HC asked both Asthana and Kumar to preserve the records of the case and also their mobile records. It posted the matter for hearing on October 29. During the hearing, CBI said charges against Asthana are serious and the agency was investigating the matter and is likely to add more offences in the FIR.
Asthana's counsel and senior advocate Amrendra Sharan said an illegal FIR had been registered against the Special CBI Director, based on the statement of the accused. Senior advocate Dayan Krishnan appeared for Kumar for quashing of the FIR against him. Asthana has also sought a court's direction so that the CBI does not take any coercive action him.
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