CBI names its No. 2 Rakesh Asthana as accused No. 1 in bribery case; lens on RAW official
New Delhi, Oct 21: In a development with wide ramifications, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked its Special Director Rakesh Asthana in a bribery scandal, naming him as an accused in an FIR filed earlier this week.
Asthana is No. 2 in the CBI hierarchy. The FIR has also named Samant Kumar Goel, Special Director of India’s external intelligence agency (R&AW), but not as an accused. CBI filed the FIR on Tuesday. It named Asthana as Accused Number 1 for demanding and taking bribe from a businessman who was under investigation in the Moin Qureshi corruption case by a special investigation team (SIT) headed by Asthana.
According to sources, CBI has put telephone intercepts, WhatsApp messages, money trail and a statement before the magistrate under Section 164. Text messages sent to Asthana seeking a reaction went unanswered. Exposing faultlines within, the CBI on September 21, had said that it had informed the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) that it was investigating Asthana in six cases of corruption. The CBI has also said Asthana was maligning Director Alok Verma’s image and trying to “intimidate” officials by sending a “frivolous” complaint to the CVC against Verma.
Reacting to this, Asthana wrote to the government with a complaint against Verma, saying that the Director had sought to impede his functioning, interfere in investigations and malign his reputation.
The CBI moved against Asthana after the arrest of Dubai-based middleman Manoj Prasad on a complaint from Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Satish whose role was being investigated by the CBI SIT under Asthana in the Qureshi corruption case. Qureshi was raided by the Income-Tax department in February 2014, and his BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) messages with former CBI Director A P Singh led to Singh’s resignation as member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Three years later, a case was registered by the CBI in February 2017. This was one of the many important cases being handled by the SIT headed by Asthana.
Satish gave a statement before the Magistrate on October 4, naming Asthana, Prasad and Prasad’s relative, Somesh Srivastava, and gave details of how he had paid Rs 3 crore over a period of 10 months from December 2017 to stay away from the CBI case. Satish claimed he was harassed by CBI officers to pay more. On the instructions of Manoj Prasad, Rs 25 lakh were allegedly paid on October 9 to a conduit to get relief from appearing before the SIT for questioning. After he got relief, Prasad travelled from Dubai to Delhi in the morning to collect Rs 1.75 crore on October 16, where he was apprehended by the CBI team.
The FIR states that Goel, R&AW’s No. 2, was well known to, and had been in regular touch with, Manoj and Somesh. He has not been named as an accused, but his role in the case remains under investigation by the CBI, sources said.
Courtesy: indianexpress.com
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KPTCL sets target to complete Kadandale 400 kV power substation project by July 15
Mangaluru (Karnataka) (PTI): The KPTCL has set a target to complete the strategically important Kadandale 400 kV power substation project by July 15, aiming to ensure uninterrupted and quality power supply to the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, officials said on Wednesday.
The target has been fixed by the KPTCL (Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited) following the directions of State Energy Minister K J George, they said.
The project, located at Kadandale village in Moodbidri taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, had remained stalled for nearly three years due to land-related litigation affecting the 400 kV transmission line works, officials said.
However, the hurdles were successfully resolved through the sustained efforts of Energy Minister George and Energy Department Additional Chief Secretary Gaurav Gupta, they said.
Following the minister's directions, KPTCL Managing Director Ram Prasath Manohar visited the project site on Wednesday to review the progress of the works, according to an official statement.
"Mangaluru is one of Karnataka's key industrial hubs and requires a reliable and uninterrupted power supply. As directed by the Hon'ble Minister, we are working towards completing the project before the onset of the monsoon and commencing transmission operations at the earliest," Manohar said.
According to officials, the Kadandale 400 kV substation is expected to significantly strengthen the power infrastructure of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, which are major industrial and commercial regions of the state.
Manohar said the project would provide a long-term solution to recurring monsoon-related voltage fluctuations and low-voltage issues in the coastal belt.
"The new substation will improve grid stability and ensure quality power supply to the region. In the event of a technical fault in any one station, load can be quickly diverted through this substation, enabling faster restoration of electricity supply," he explained.
To expedite completion of the project, KPTCL has planned to obtain line clearance on the existing 400 kV UPCL-Hebbanahalli transmission corridor between May 6 and May 24, 2026, the statement said.
During this period, alternative arrangements have been made to manage transmission loads and maintain supply based on demand conditions, it said.
However, officials stated that short-duration load shedding may become unavoidable under technically exigent situations.
"This project is crucial for the long-term energy security of Mangaluru and the coastal region. We request consumers and the public to extend their cooperation during this temporary operational phase," the KPTCL MD stated.
Minister George said that ensuring uninterrupted power supply for the benefit of the public and the industrial growth of the coastal region is one of the government's top priorities.
"Due to certain legal hurdles, the 400 kV transmission line work was delayed. The department has taken special initiative to resolve these obstacles. The Kadandale substation will ensure high-quality power supply for Mangaluru and Udupi regions," he said.
"The department continuously monitored the land-related disputes affecting the project and ensured timely resolution through coordinated intervention. KPTCL has been instructed to complete the works within the stipulated timeline and dedicate the project to public service at the earliest," Gupta stated.
