CBI Director moves SC after Centre sends him on leave

Amid all the controversies engulfing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), its Director Alok Verma on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court (SC) challenging the central government's decision to send him on leave.

SC has accepted Verma's petition and the matter is likely be heard on October 26.

Gopal Sankaranarayanan, the lawyer appearing for Verma, told the apex court that the Centre on Wednesday morning had  asked his client and Special Director Rakesh Asthana to go on leave, hence compromising the investigation into many sensitive cases.

It may be noted that, earlier today, M Nageshwar Rao was appointed as the interim Director of the CBI with immediate effect. Rao, a 1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Odisha cadre, was working as the Joint Director in the investigating agency.

According to an order from the central government, he will now look after the duties and functions of Director, CBI, and will take over the duties and functions with immediate effect.

The central government's decision came a day after Asthana moved the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of First Information Report (FIR) filed against him by the premier investigating agency of India. The court later ordered that no action would be taken against Asthana until next hearing, which is scheduled for October 29.

The CBI had filed an FIR against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe from a businessman, who was related to Moin Akhtar Qureshi case. Asthana was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was probing Qureshi's case.