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Updated January 31st, 2019 at 12:06 IST

Big relief for Rakesh Asthana, SC dismisses petition challenging his appointment as DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security

In a big relief to Rakesh Asthana, the Supreme Court has dismissed a petition challenging his appointment as DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Thursday. A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on January 23 challenging the appointment of the former CBI Special Director as Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

Reported by: Digital Desk
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In a big relief to Rakesh Asthana, the Supreme Court has dismissed a petition challenging his appointment as DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Thursday.

A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on January 23 challenging the appointment of the former CBI Special Director as Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

The petition, filed by advocate M L Sharma and likely to come up for hearing this week, said the appointment was in contradiction to the law and Asthana be suspended in view of the pending investigation against him.

The Delhi High Court had on January 11 refused to quash the FIR lodged against Asthana on bribery allegations and set a 10-week deadline to complete the investigation.

The government on January 18, however, appointed Asthana as director of the BCAS, India’s regulatory authority for civil aviation security.

READ | Big Shake-up In The CBI: Government Curtails Tenure Of Rakesh Asthana, Sends Him Back To Parent Cadre

In another SC plea regarding the appointment Interim CBi Director M Nageswara Rao, Justice NV Ramana has rescued himself from hearing a petition of NGO Common Cause against Rao's appointment as interim Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and seeking transparency in the process of short-listing, selection and appointment of the CBI Director. He is the third judge to recuse himself from the case.

A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on January 14 against M Nageswara Rao's appointment as interim Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and has sought transparency in the process of short-listing, selection and appointment of the CBI Director.

The petition filed by NGO Common Cause and social activist Anjali Bhardwaj, to secure "independence and autonomy" of CBI, sought quashing of the order dated January 10 by which the charge and duties of the CBI Director Alok Verma have been handed over to Nageshwar Rao as an interim measure.

The petitioners claims that the lack of transparency in the appointment of the CBI Director allows the government to exercise "undue influence in the appointment process" specially at the stage of short-listing of candidates.

(With agency input)

READ | Alok Verma-Rakesh Asthana Face-off Leaves A Dent On CBI's Image

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Published January 31st, 2019 at 11:56 IST

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