"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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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
