Alok Verma remains CBI Director, Rakesh Asthana Special Director, Nageshwar Rao given only interim charge: CBI

The CBI on Thursday said Alok Verma, who has been divested of his powers, will remain its Director and the agency's number two Rakesh Asthana will continue as the Special Director, while M Nageshwar Rao has been given interim charge of the agency.

Rakesh Asthana (Left) and Alok Verma (Right)/ http://cbi.gov.in

NEW DELHI: Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana continue to be the director and special director of the Central Bureau of Investigation respectively, the CBI said on Thursday. This comes a day after both Verma and Asthana were stripped of their powers and sent on leave in a dramatic overnight action by the government. "Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana, who have been divested of their powers, continue to be the director and special director of the agency respectively," PTI quoted CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal as saying. Dayal said M Nageswar Rao is only an interim arrangement until the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) decides on its probe involving both. "M Nageswar Rao is looking after duties and functions of the Director in the interim period till the time CVC looks into allegations and counter allegations," Dayal said. To bring the perspective of the Central Vigilance Commission order recommending the divesting of powers of Verma and Asthana, Joint Director M Nageshwar Rao has been given the charge to look after the duties and functions of the Director as an interim arrangement, he said. Alok Verma had on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Centre's decision and suggesting that the government may not be in agreement with the course of CBI probe into cases relating to some "high functionaries". In his petition, he contended that the action against him was "patently illegal and unconstitutional" and sought quashing of the order.  The petition of Verma and NGO Common Cause, represented by senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, is coming before the Supreme Court on Friday. Meanwhile, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Thursday said CBI Director Alok Verma is an "upright officer" who was doing a "good job" to check corruption and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider action taken against him. Swamy sais Verma was doing a "good job" in the fight against corruption. "I urge the prime minister to reconsider removal of CBI director Alok Verma. He is an upright officer, while Asthana is a corrupt officer," Swamy alleged. The war between Verma and Asthana had escalated after Asthana had written to the CVC in August levelling allegations of misconduct and corruption in the probe into meat exporter Moin Qureshi case while the CBI registered a case on Sunday against Asthana accusing him of accepting bribe to settle Qureshi's case. (With inputs from agencies)