New Delhi, November 27: A month ago, the Supreme Court had barred newly-appointed CBI interim director M Nageswara Rao from taking any policy or major decision. However, it has emerged that Rao allegedly closed a case against chartered accountant Sanjay Bhandari, accused of bribing Income Tax officers. Rao passed an order on November 11 to close the case against Bhandari, reported Indian Express.

However, the CBI has a different version of the story. According to the central agency, Rao “turned down” a proposal conveyed “orally” by the then director Alok Verma to re-open a case of alleged corruption against Income Tax officers and a middleman, saying it was a policy decision which he could not take in light of a Supreme Court order. CBI vs CBI Battle Explained: Why Alok Kumar Verma and Rakesh Asthana are at Loggerheads? How it All Started.

In 2016, the CBI had registered a case against nine senior Income Tax officials and three private persons, including Bhandari, for allegedly indulging in corrupt practices. The case had stemmed from another case registered by the agency in January, 2015 in which Bhandari was named along with an I-T officer, who was arrested while allegedly “receiving” a bribe from Shreyans Bhandari of SH Bhandari and Co, Chartered Accountants. Rakesh Asthana Bribery Case: CBI Arrests Officer Devender Kumar For Fabricating Statement Against Director Alok Kumar Verma.

A CBI spokesperson told PTI that the decision to close the case against Bhandari was taken by earlier director (Alok Verma) on March 13, 2018. Subsequently, the file was moved for reinvestigation before the interim director, he said. “Giving an approval would have amounted to taking a policy decision which would have been against the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, hence the request for reopening was turned down,” the spokesperson said.

While hearing the plea of Verma, who was sent on leave along with special director Rakesh Asthana amidst a tussle between the two, the Supreme Court had on October 26 barred IPS officer Rao, who was given interim charge of looking after the duties of the CBI director, from taking any policy decision or any major decision.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 27, 2018 09:17 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).