Ajit Doval blocked the investigation, minister sought bribe

The internal fight in the CBI turned darker with a senior officer M.K. Sinha drawing the names of NSA Ajit Doval, Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary and CVC K.V. Chowdhury over alleged attempts to intervene in the probe against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who has been sent on leave along with his boss.

Mr Sinha made a series of sensational allegations in his petition while probing the FIR against Mr Asthana, the CBI’s No. 2, including the important cases like the PNB scam involving Nirav Modi. Sinha made these allegations before the Supreme Court that sought an urgent hearing for quashing his transfer to Nagpur.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi was informed by Mr Sinha’s advocate Sunil Fernandes that his client has “got some shocking revelations” in his petition and sought urgent listing and hearing along with the plea of CBI director Alok Verma.

NSA Doval had informed Asthana about registration of the FIR right before it was filed following which Asthana reportedly made a request to the NSA that he should not be arrested.

The bench involving Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph, shot back while ruling out urgent hearing said: “Nothing shocks us.” Mr Sinha alleged that Sathish Babu, in Asthana’s case, had said crores were paid to Union minister Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary.