Delhi High Court extends Rakesh Asthana's interim protection till 1 November, directs CBI to maintain status quo

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to maintain status quo till 1 November on proceedings against its side-stepped special director Rakesh Asthana, who was sent on leave by the government. [caption id=“attachment_4166925” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Rakesh Asthana. PTI[/caption] A bench of Justice Najmi Waziri questioned the CBI for not filing a reply to pleas of Asthana and another official Devender Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police, seeking quashing of FIR lodged against them. CBI has lodged FIR against Asthana and Kumar in connection with bribery allegations. The high court also directed the CBI to file a reply on the two pleas on or before 1 November. The CBI prosecutor told the high court that delay in filing of reply occurred as the case files have been sent to Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and sought more time for filing the response. Kumar, earlier the investigating officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, was arrested on 22 October on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of businessman Sathish Sana, who had alleged to have paid a bribe to get relief in the case. The high court had on 23 October directed the CBI to maintain status quo on the criminal proceedings initiated against its special director Asthana, who has challenged the FIR lodged against him on bribery allegations.