New Delhi, October 24: In a mid-night drama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government sent CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma on leave and transferred as many as 13 officers of the agency who were probing bribery charges against CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana. While Asthana got protection from arrest by the Delhi High Court on Monday, Varma moved the Supreme Court against his virtual sacking from the CBI.

PM Narendra Modi finds himself in the middle of a very ugly and public tussle between two top officers of the CBI as both of them were appointed by his government. As PM Modi overhauls the CBI and appoints M Nageshwar Rao as interim director of the country's premier investigation agency, we bring to you insights of the ugly battle in the CBI and its various twists and turns. Rakesh Asthana Bribery Case: CBI Arrests Officer Devender Kumar For Fabricating Statement Against Director Alok Kumar Verma.

Who are Alok Kumar Verma and Rakesh Asthana?

Alok Kumar Verma, a 1979 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, was appointed as the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in January 2017, even though he had no prior experience of working in the agency. Verma is said to be close to PM Modi, and this is believed to be the reason behind his selection as CBI director from among many contenders. Under PM Narendra Modi, CBI is a Weapon of Political Vendetta: Rahul Gandhi.

Rakesh Asthana, a 1984 batch Indian Police Service officer of Gujarat cadre, has been involved in the probe of some high-profile cases such as the Sabarmati Express fire case in Godhra in 2002. As superintendent of police in the CBI, he also arrested Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam in 1997. His investigation into the fodder scam is regarded as crucial resulting in the conviction of Lalu Prasad.

Asthana is said to be close to BJP president Amit Shah and PM Modi. He has served as Commissioner of Police of Vadodara between 2008 and 2011. At present, at least six cases of corruption are underway against Asthana.

Verma vs Asthana - First Flashpoint

In 2016, after Anil Sinha retired as CBI director, the Modi government appointed Asthana as acting director of the agency. This surprised many as several senior officers were ignored for the important post. When Verma took office in 2017, Asthana remained special director of the CBI. As No 2 in the agency, Asthana took many decisions without keeping Verma in loop, which irked him

According to rules, the CBI director has to be compulsorily consulted before appointing any person above the rank of superintendent of police. When Asthana's appointment as a special director came up for clearance before the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Verma reportedly objected to it. However, the Modi government overruled his objection.

The rift between No 1 and No 2 came out in the open for the first time when Asthana compiled a preference list for CBI appointments and forwarded it to the CVC. Subsequently, the CBI wrote a letter to the CVC stating that Verma does not have the mandate to represent its chief. The agency also pointed out that Asthana and officers mentioned in his list were "under scanner" in several cases.

Moin Qureshi Case:

An FIR has been lodged against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe to settle a case of meat exporter Moin Qureshi, who is facing multiple cases of money laundering and corruption. Asthana's name surfaced when a Hyderabad-based businessman named Sana Satish alleged that he had paid a bribe of Rs 5 crore to help him get off the hook in the Moin Qureshi case. According to the CBI, at least Rs 3 crore had already been paid to Asthana through the middlemen.

Asthana's Allegations Against Verma:

In a letter to CVC, Asthana listed 10 cases where he alleged Verma tried to influence the investigation. He alleged that Sana paid a bribe of Rs 2 crore to Verma. He also claimed that Verma attempted to influence the investigation in the IRCTC scam involving Lalu Prasad.

Rafale Deal Angle:

Earlier this month, former BJP minister Arun Shourie and lawyer Prashant Bhushan met Alok Kumar Verma to file a complaint and urge the CBI to investigate the Rafale deal and offset contract. This did not go well with the Modi government as Verma not only received the complaint but sought confirmation from the defence ministry about the authenticity of the official documents they had referred to. Verma’s interest in the Rafale deal may have led to his removal.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 24, 2018 04:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).