The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday said Alok Kumar Verma, who has been divested of all responsibilities pending an inquiry by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), continues to be the agency’s Director.
Rakesh Asthana, who too has been stripped of his powers, also remains the Special Director, said agency spokesperson Abhishek Dayal. The clarification came a day before the petitions challenging the October-23 order against Mr. Verma are to come up for a hearing in the Supreme Court.
As ordered by the CVC, Mr. Verma cannot exercise any function, power, duty and supervisory role in respect of cases already registered, or required to be booked or inquired into under the Prevention of Corruption Act, till its probe concludes. However, all the facilities available to him as the CBI Director subsist.
Mr. Dayal said the additional charge of CBI chief to Joint Director M. Nageswara Rao has been given only as an interim arrangement pending the CVC inquiry into allegations and counter-allegations. “This is to ensure that the agency’s day-to-day functions are looked after smoothly,” he said.
Asked if the recent turn of events would influence the extradition case against fugitive Vijay Mallya in the United Kingdom, the spokesperson said: “We are conscious of the fact that any fall in the credibility and image of the agency has a potential to impact the important cases we are fighting internationally…whatever we are doing is to ensure that credibility of the agency does not suffer.”
Mr. Dayal also said that a media report -- stating that several crucial files, including the one pertaining to the Rafale deal, were under Mr. Verma’s consideration when he was divested of the charges -- was false. He said all the files were accounted for.
On Thursday, the interim Director held a meeting with the new team that has taken over the probe into the case of alleged extortion and corruption against Mr. Asthana and others. They have already been instructed to carry out the investigation “expeditiously and in a fair manner”.
The former case investigating officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police A.K. Bassi, who was transferred to Port Blair soon after Mr. Rao took over , was at the CBI headquarters on Thursday reportedly to hand over the case documents.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar, who was arrested by the previous team in connection with the FIR against Mr. Asthana, is still in CBI custody.
