CBI officer probing FIR against Asthana moves SC, challenges transfer to Nagpur

He has alleged that he was transferred to Nagpur and as a result has been taken out from the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana.

New Delhi: A CBI officer, who was probing the FIR lodged against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of his transfer to Nagpur in Maharashtra. Manish Kumar Sinha, an IPS officer who was part of the investigation team probing Asthana's role in an alleged corruption case, mentioned his plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for urgent hearing tomorrow. The bench also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph is scheduled to hear tomorrow the plea of CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the government's decision of divesting him of duties and sending him on leave. Sinha said that his plea be also heard along with Verma tomorrow. He has alleged that he was transferred to Nagpur and as a result has been taken out from the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana. Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave by the central government following his ongoing feud with the CBI Director. The CBI had booked Asthana on allegations of receiving a bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi.