CBI arrests its Deputy SP Devender Kumar on allegations of forgery in connection with bribery case involving Rakesh Asthana

New Delhi: The CBI has arrested its Deputy Superintendent of Police Devender Kumar in connection with bribery allegations involving its Special Director and second-in-command Rakesh Asthana, officials said Monday. [caption id=“attachment_5127091” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] Kumar, who was earlier the investigation officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, has been arrested on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of Sathish Sana, who had alleged to have paid bribes to get relief in the case, they said. It is alleged that a statement of Sana was purportedly recorded on 26 September, 2018 by the investigating team headed by Asthana, but it emerged in the CBI probe that on that given day the businessman was in Hyderabad, they claimed. In his statement, Sana had purportedly said that he had in June this year discussed his case with Telugu Desam Party’s Rajya Sabha member CM Ramesh who, after speaking to the CBI Director, had assured him that he would not be summoned again. “From June onwards, I was not called by the CBI. I was under the impression that investigation against me is complete,” he is believed to have said. The CBI has now alleged that Kumar had fabricated this statement as an “afterthought…to corroborate the baseless allegations made by Asthana against CBI Director Alok Verma to the CVC (Central Vigilance Commissioner)”, they claimed. They said the agency was also looking into the alleged role of other members of the special investigation team headed by Asthana. Asthana, who was booked by the agency on bribery charges in an unprecedented action , had complained against CBI Director Verma on 24 August, 2018 that he had taken bribe of Rs 2 crore from Sana to give him relief in the matter.