CBI controversy: Arrested DSP Devendra Kumar moves Delhi HC seeking quashing of arrest in bribery case; plea listed for today

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Devendra Kumar moved the Delhi High Court on Tuesday seeking the quashing of his arrest by the CBI, which was carried out in connection with bribery allegations involving the investigative agency’s Special Director Rakesh Asthana. The matter was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice VK Rao by senior advocate Dayan Krishnan. The court listed the plea for hearing before an appropriate bench in the post-lunch session on Tuesday. CNN-News18 had reported that CBI’s DSP Kumar was likely to seek the nullification of his arrest in the Delhi High Court.

#BREAKING – Latest twist in massive turmoil within CBI. Devendra Kumar set to move Delhi High Court. Arrested DSP to seek quashing of arrest. | @Zakka_Jacob with more details pic.twitter.com/YPj8uypDoY

— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 23, 2018

Kumar, who was earlier the investigating officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, was arrested on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of Satish Sana, who had alleged to have paid bribes to get relief in the case, officials of the agency 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. 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)”, officials claimed. They said the agency was also looking into the alleged role of other members of the special investigation team headed by Asthana. On Monday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi reacted to the ongoing CBI controversy and called the investigating agency “an institution in terminal decline that’s at war with itself.” Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also said the BJP has turned the CBI into a “national disgrace”. Asthana has been accused of receiving a bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to Qureshi. The CBI registered the case on 15 October — FIR RC 13(A) of 2018 — on the basis of a complaint from Sana. Sana alleged the officer had helped him to get a clean chit. With inputs from agencies