High drama unfolded on Thursday outside the bungalow of CBI Director Alok Verma at 2 Janpath, when his personal security officers caught four officials of the Intelligence Bureau (IB).
A senior official told The Hindu that Mr. Verma’s PSOs mistook the four IB personnel for those from the CBI. “The PSOs thought that the four personnel, in two cars in the opposite and back lane of the bungalow, were from the CBI and had come at the behest of Rakesh Asthana to raid Mr. Verma’s bungalow,” he said.
Mr. Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana were sent on leave on October 23 after claims and counter-claims of bribery and corruption. Mr. Verma has challenged the government’s order in the Supreme Court.
One hour after the IB personnel were caught, a Delhi police vehicle was sent to the bungalow, and they were taken out.
A senior IB official said the men were carrying their identity cards and it was “unlike surveillance, which is done covertly, without any visible appurtenances.”
“One such unit of the IB, which routinely patrols high-security areas, in early hours of Thursday halted on Janpath, where there was an unusual collection of people. This was with a view to checking the reason for the people to gather at the location. This is a high-security zone where several protectees reside. Unfortunately, their presence was projected otherwise,” said the official. He said a team of the IB personnel patrols the high security Lutyens zone from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. every day. This has been the practice since 1980s.
