SC dismisses plea challenging Rakesh Asthana’s appointment as DG civil aviation security

The plea sought Asthana’s suspension in view of the pending investigation into the corruption charges against him.

Another bench of the apex court headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi dismissed a PIL seeking suspension of former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana, who was allegedly at loggerheads with then director Alok Verma. Asthana was recently shifted to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) from the CBI and given the responsibility of director general.

The plea by advocate M L Sharma alleged that the appointment was in contravention of the law and prayed that Asthana be suspended as investigation was pending against him in connection with cases registered by the CBI.

Dismissing the plea, the court pointed out that Sharma had sought “multiple” reliefs, “one having no connection with the other”.

While his first prayer sought quashing of Asthana’s appointment in BCAS, the second prayer sought Asthana’s suspension pending investigation. He also sought other reliefs, but the court told him “some discipline has to be maintained… you cannot bring everything under the sky and roll it into one”.

The court asked him to approach a Service Tribunal, saying, “While some of the reliefs sought may lie, if at all within the jurisdiction of the Service Tribunal, the other reliefs sought are not appropriate for being dealt with in the manner in which they have been projected.”