The CBI had already decided to move a case for suspension of its special director, Rakesh Asthana, on Wednesday before the government moved in at midnight to sidestep the agency’s director, Alok Verma, from his post, The Indian Express has learnt. This move was kept under wraps by the team Tuesday, even though action was taken to strip Asthana of all duties that day itself. Sources said a note had been prepared, which was to be approved and signed by Verma on Wednesday, before it was to be sent to the Central Vigilance Commission and the Department of Personnel and Training. Also read | CBI ‘credibility dented’, ex-officers question CVC, say govt delayed action The decision to suspend Asthana, it is learnt, was taken after evidence gathered by the Investigating team — now moved out — following Monday’s arrest of CBI Deputy SP Devender Kumar, a key member of Asthana’s special investigation team (SIT). Kumar, who has been remanded to seven-day police custody, is reported to have confessed that the allegedly fabricated statement of Sathish Sana was forged. The CBI is then learnt to have gathered that the forgery was done on the computers of “some senior CBI officers” in their office, according to sources. This formed the basis for CBI sources citing “serious criminal misconduct” by Asthana, as reported by The Indian Express on Wednesday. Asthana was heading the SIT probing sensitive matters such as coal scam-related cases, Robert Vadra, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Vijay Mallya and others. During Tuesday’s hearing of the bribery and extortion racket matter, under investigation by CBI, in FIR against Asthana and Kumar, Delhi High Court had made it clear that it will not stay the investigation.
