Key protagonists in the CBI vs CBI thriller

The Supreme Court on Friday commenced hearing on the petition filed by CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the decision of the Centre to divest him of his duties and sending him on leave.

Left: Ousted CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, Right: CBI's ousted Director Alok Verma

New Delhi: The ongoing internal feud inside country’s largest investigative agency’s ‘top two bosses’ – ousted Director Alok Verma and ousted Special Director Rakesh Asthana has now turned into a national-level debate after several political angles have been added to the duel and many people have been dragged in. WHO ALL ARE INVOLVED? Key person in the case - Alok Verma: Alok Kumar Verma is the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation who has been sent on leave on government order since October 24; following allegations of bribery by the Special Director of the CBI Rakesh Asthana. Soon after being sent on leave, Verma challenged the government order in Supreme Court and the case was heard on Friday. The court ordered that all the powers of Verma be snatched till the hearing and probe on the case is not over. Second key person - Rakesh Asthana:  He is the number two top boss in country’s biggest investigative agency and has been indulged in the bitterest internal feud ever. Asthana’s office was raided by CBI itself on the orders of top boss Verma, on the allegations of taking a bribe worth Rs 3crore. Asthana was also sent on leave by PM led Appointments Committee and all his powers were snatched as well. In his letters to the Cabinet Secretary and CVC, Asthana had written about 10 cases of alleged corruption against Alok Verma. One of the case pertained to Sathish Sana, a businessman facing probe in a corruption case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi in which Asthana had alleged on 24 August that Sana paid Rs2 crore to Verma to get relief in the case. The man behind downfall- Moin Qureshi: Meat exporter Moin Qureshi is being seen as a person behind the entire matter. As per allegation by Asthana, Verma took a bribe worth Rs 2 crore from Sana, a suspect to help Qureshi get rid of a CBI case against him; whereas Verma filed a case against Asthana, claiming he took Rs 3 crore from Sana. Even before Qureshi has been the reason behind downfall of two CBI Chiefs AP Singh and Ranjit Sinha. Central Vigilance Commission: The CVC is the government body, which initially received complaint against Verma about the corruption charges against him and now would be probing the entire matter; as directed by the Supreme Court on Friday. The court has allotted 10 days to CVC to probe the case and asked Centre and CBI to provide CVC report to court in sealed cover within 10 days. CBI’s interim boss- Nageshwar Rao:  M Nageshwar Rao has been given interim charge of CBI till the probe on the allegation charges made on ousted Alok Verma is underway. Supreme Court on Friday ordered that Interim CBI chief Rao shall not take any major policy decisions and stated that decisions taken by Rao till date have to be placed before it in a sealed cover. What has Supreme Court said?: The Supreme Court on Friday commenced hearing on the petition filed by CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the decision of the Centre to divest him of his duties and sending him on leave. The case was heard by a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph. The court has temporarily held back all the powers of Verma and Asthana. The apex court also ordered CVC to probe the case and present report in 10 days.