Delhi HC to hear CBI's plea against Rakesh Asthana, others on Monday

The Delhi High Court will on Monday hear the Central Bureau of Investigation's plea seeking the third extension of time to conclude the probe against Rakesh Asthana and others in a bribery case. Rakesh Asthana and Devendra Kumar are being probed by the CBI for allegedly accepting the bribe in exchange for a clean chit to Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana.  The CBI on September 30 moved the court to complete the investigation on the corruption charges against Asthana and Kumar. 

Justice Vibhu Bakhru will hear the plea against Devender Kumar, Rakesh Asthana, Manoj Prasad and others. The probe agency has filed a status report containing developments made in the investigation and evidence collected in a sealed cover for consideration of the court. Furthermore, the CBI's application stated that it needs more time for legal scrutiny by supervisory officers and simultaneously to complete the investigation as expeditiously as possible. Asthana had also accused former CBI Director Alok Verma of trying to falsely implicate him in the case, following which the Centre sent both on leave last year.

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Delhi HC refuses further extension

While granting the additional two months, Justice Bakhru made it clear to the CBI that at the end of this, no further time will be granted. Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, representing Asthana before the Court objected to the extension of time sought by the CBI stating that everything was submitted in a sealed cover and that the accused did not have the access to it to be able to defend it on merits. “We’ll have to argue on principles,” Krishnan told the bench. Asthana and Devendra Kumar, along with middleman Manoj Prasad, are facing a probe for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs. 2 crores in exchange for giving a clean chit to Hyderabad-businessman Satish Sana in the Moin Qureshi case. Ten weeks time was granted by the Delhi High Court to the CBI to conclude the investigation against them in January this year when the Court had refused to quash the FIR against Rakesh Asthana, Devendra Kumar and Manoj Prasad. The time was then extended by another four months in May.

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(With Inputs from ANI)