NEW DELHI: The Central Vigilance Commission may be asked to mediate in the current power tussle in the Central Bureau of Investigation, sources said on Monday.
It is also understood that the filing of a bribery case by the Central Bureau of Investigation against its second-in-command Rakesh Asthana without seeking prior permission from the government has not gone down well with the highest echelons in power, sources in the PMO indicated on Monday.
The CBI on Monday 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.
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.
The CBI's First Information Report (FIR) against Rakesh Asthana is based on the claims of Sathish Sana, a Hyderabad-based businessman investigated in a money-laundering case against meat exporter Moin Qureshi.
Sathish Sana has alleged that he was asked to pay a bribe of Rs. 5 crore to Asthana to be spared. The CBI says Sathish Sana told a magistrate that he had paid Rs. 2 crore as bribe to Asthana over a ten month period from December last year.
The CBI has also charged Somesh Prasad. Manoj and Somesh are the sons of a former officer of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). The CBI says the role of R&AW officials is also under the scanner.
In a complaint to the government in August, Rakesh Asthana had alleged it was the CBI chief who took that bribe but had framed him because he prevented Sathish Sana from skipping the country.
Sathish Sana had, during his interrogation, "admitted" to bribing the CBI director, Asthana said in his letter to the Cabinet Secretariat. The letter also listed ten instances of corruption, criminal misconduct, interference in the investigation of sensitive cases.
Earlier this month, Asthana also accused the CBI chief of trying to frame him in the case of Gujarat-based company Sterling Biotech, which is being investigated for a big loan default.
As per Supreme Court guidelines, it is mandatory for the CBI to upload FIRs against its officers on its website within 72 hours of it's filing. Questions are also swirling around whether this directive was flouted about the FIR that was uploaded on Sunday night against the special director.
Highest sources in the government confirmed that the CBI 'jumping the gun' in filing the FIR against its deputy and going public had irked the PMO.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi it is learnt, was closely monitoring the ongoing feud in the CBI, and has sought details, sources said.