Ex-CBI Spl Director Rakesh Asthana appointed as DG-BSF, six months after CBI's clean chit

In a major development, the ex-CBI special director Rakesh Asthana has been appointed as the Director-General of the Border Security Forces (BSF) as per the Ministry of Home Affairs' (MHA) proposal on Monday. The 1984 Gujarat cadre's IPS officer is currently working as DG, BCAS and has been also given the additional charge of  DG, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Apart from him, MHA has appointed Senior IPS officer V S K Kaumudi as Special Secretary (Internal Security) and IPS officer Md.Jawed Akhtar as DG, Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guard. All appointments are upto 31 July 2021 - their superannuation.

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Rakesh Asthana appointed as DG-BSF

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CBI finds no bribery involvement by Asthana

Earlier in February, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found no involvement of former Special Director Rakesh Asthana and Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devender Kumar in an alleged bribery case registered by the CBI in October 2018. The FIR was registered by then-CBI director Alok Verma for alleged criminal conspiracy, corruption and criminal misconduct. Asthana had denied all charges and sought to quash the FIR against him.

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CBI vs CBI saga

Asthana- who was the second in command in the CBI - had levelled charges of corruption against Verma and accused him of trying to falsely implicate him. Verma had accused Asthana and Kumar for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 2 crore in exchange for clearing Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana, who was being investigated in the Moin Qureshi corruption case. While both Verma and Asthana were sent in compulsory leave in 2018, the PM Modi-led 3-member panel, removed Verma as CBI director in 2019 after finding Asthana's charges against Verma 'substantiated'.

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As per reports, Asthana, who was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the Moin Qureshi case sought to arrest Sana in connection with the case in September 2018. Sana was accused of paying illegal gratification to Verma for a bail-out. Sana had alleged that two Dubai based brothers Manoj and Somesh Prasad had demanded Rs 5 crore bribe at the behest of Asthana. But the CBI has cleared Asthana of all charges but is still probing the Prasad brothers.