Asthana asks CBI IOs to complete probe of pending cases by year end

Kolkata: The Special Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Rakesh Asthana, directed investigating officers (IOs) to take necessary steps to complete probe of all the pending cases by the end of 2018.

Asthana held a meeting with CBI officers, including IOs of all the ongoing cases, at Nizam Palace on Wednesday. The meeting started at around 11 am and continued till around 1.30 pm. There was also a second round of discussion after the lunch.

Sources said that Asthana took stock of the present

situation of the cases and directed the concerned officers to take necessary steps

to expedite the process, so that the final chargesheets of the cases can be filed by the end of 2018.

It may be mentioned that the ongoing cases include the Saradha Group scam, Narada sting operation and Rose Valley Group's case.

It has been learnt that the direction to expedite the process of completing the probe was given, as the new cases are getting piled up one after the other.

Sources said that he directed the officials to be technologically advanced and also stated that there would be recruitment of new staff. This came at the time when the IOs have also stated about the total number of cases they are handling at present.

He has also stated that officers from Revenue Service will also be providing necessary assistance to the CBI officers, in the probe against financial irregularities.

Asthana also went to the house of former CBI officer Upendranath Biswas on Wednesday morning, before heading towards Nizam Palace. He left Kolkata in the evening itself. It may be mentioned he had come to Kolkata on Tuesday.