The CBI on Thursday opposed in the Delhi high court its Special Director Rakesh Asthana's plea seeking to quash an FIR against him in a bribery case, saying that allegations against the officers and others show cognisable offences. The agency also said the investigation in the case was at a nascent stage and it was "handicapped" in the probe as certain files and documents were under the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) scrutiny.

The files and documents have been sent to the CVC as the Supreme Court (SC) has directed the vigilance body to conduct an enquiry against CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma. The investigating agency filed the reply in response to the notice issued to it on the petition filed by Asthana against the lodging of case. The petitions of Asthana, CBI DSP Devendra Kumar and middleman Manoj Prasad are scheduled to come up for hearing before a bench of Justice Najmi Waziri during the day.