"Was In London": Rakesh Asthana on middleman's claim of meeting in Delhi
NEW DELHI: Rakesh Asthana, the CBI's number two officer who has been accused of accepting bribe by his boss Alok Verma, has pointed out that he was in London during the entire period when the alleged negotiation with a Hyderabad-based businessman and the exchange of money through middlemen took place, NDTV has learnt. Mr Asthana has also dismissed the claim that the middleman met him at his office Delhi around the same time.
The infighting between the top two of the country's main investigating agency escalated when the CBI filed a First Information Report against Mr Asthana.
Mr Asthana then wrote to the Chief Vigilance Commission, the top anti-corruption watchdog, that it was in fact CBI chief Alok Verma who had taken bribe from the businessman being investigated by the agency.
Both were sent on compulsory leave by the centre last month and a probe into corruption allegations against the two was initiated by the Chief Vigilance Commission.
Sources close to the investigation have told NDTV that key witness Sana Sathish Babu, who both the top two officers alleged had bribed the other, has stuck to his statement against CBI special director Rakesh Asthana.
According to the First Information Report or FIR, Sana Sathish Babu had reportedly paid Rs. 3 crore, through two middlemen -- brothers Somesh and Manoj Prasad, as bribe to a CBI officer to get relief from questioning in a money laundering case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
Mr Asthana has informed Chief Vigilance Commissioner KV Chowdary that between December 2 and December 13, 2017, when the bribe was allegedly paid according to Satish Sana's statement, Rakesh Asthana was in London for hearings related to fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya.
News reports confirm that Mr Asthana left Delhi on December 3 and stayed in London till at least December 15.
According to Sana Sathish Babu's statement, he went to Dubai on December 2 last year and met brothers Somesh and Manoj Prasad.
They reportedly showed him a WhatsApp photograph of the officer and made him speak to him. The person on the other side assured the businessman won't be questioned in the Moin Qureshi case if he paid Rs. 5 crore. Later, when Mr Babu looked him up on the internet, he realised he spoke to Rakesh Asthana, his statement added.
Mr Babu alleged that a part of the bribe, 1 crore, was paid in Dubai and then Rs. 1.95 crore on December 13 at Delhi's Press Club.
Mr Babu also claimed that on December 15 or 16 -- when Rakesh Asthana was recorded to be in London -- Somesh Prasad met the CBI officer at his office in Delhi and made him hear a confirmation from Mr Asthana about his case.
The alleged meeting has been presented by Alok Verma's team as evidence against Rakesh Asthana.
The two-week period assigned by the Supreme Court to the Central Vigilance Commission to complete its inquiry ends on Sunday. The top court will hear the case on Monday.
courtesy : ndtv.com
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Bengaluru: Four arrested for housebreaking, threats, extortion; fake PSI among accused
Bengaluru: Vidyaranyapura police have arrested four persons, including a man posing as a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), for allegedly breaking into a house, threatening the occupants, and extorting money while wearing police uniforms.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mallikarjuna, Pramod, Vinay, and Hrithik.
Police said the accused had hatched a plan to pose as police personnel, conduct fake raids, and extort money from residents by intimidation.
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According to the police, Mallikarjuna had failed the PSI examination twice and later falsely projected himself as a PSI. He allegedly conducted photo shoots in his hometown, Siraguppa, wearing a police uniform, baton, cap, and shoes, claiming to be serving as a PSI in Bengaluru.
On December 7, the four accused allegedly went to the house of Naveen in the Vidyaranyapura limits, threatened him with a stick and an iron rod, and claimed they had information that he was selling ganja. Under the pretext of searching, they allegedly extorted ₹87,000 through bank transfer, ₹53,000 in cash kept in the house, and ₹2,000 from his wallet.
Following Naveen’s complaint, Vidyaranyapura police registered a case and launched an operation, leading to the arrest of all four accused. Police have seized ₹45,000 in cash and the car used to commit the crime.
Further investigation is underway.
