CBI row: AK Bassi challenges transfer in SC, claims ‘incriminating evidence’ against Rakesh Asthana
New Delhi, Oct 30: Amid the ongoing turmoil in the Central Bureau of Investigation, CBI officer AK Bassi Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging his transfer to Andaman and Nicobar.
Bassi who was heading the probe in bribery allegations against agency’s Special Director Rakesh Asthana told the court he had “incriminating evidence” related to the case and asked for a SIT probe against the officer. The apex court, however, declined the urgent hearing.
M Nageshwar Rao, the interim CBI chief, had ordered a reshuffle of the team probing allegations against Asthana, immediately after he took charge. Key among the reshuffles was the marginalisation of Joint Director (Policy) A K Sharma and transfer of Deputy SP Ajay Kumar Bassi. While Sharma was transferred to the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) of CBI, Bassi was moved to the agency’s office in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar. The order directed him to “join his new place of posting with immediate effect in public interest”.
While several other officers were transferred by Rao, CBI Director Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana were divested of their powers by the government. Both Asthana and Verma challenged the order in the apex court.
The Supreme Court, while hearing Verma’s plea last week had said Nageswar Rao cannot take any policy decisions and will only look after the day-to-day administrative affairs of the agency. The court had also asked for all transfer decisions taken by Rao in a sealed cover.
Asthana, in a letter to Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) recently, had alleged that Bassi and Deputy SP Ashwani Gupta were of “doubtful integrity” and had been sent on a “roving enquiry” to Vadodara to somehow connect him to the Sandesara family, prime accused in the Sterling Biotech case.
Both Bassi and Dubey, working under A K Sharma, were probing the 2016 wedding of Rakesh Asthana’s daughter. According to documents, several venues for the wedding were availed by the Asthana family on “complimentary” basis. However, catering and other services at the venues were paid for in cheques or through credit cards.
Courtesy: indianexpress.com
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
