NEW DELHI: The tussle between the top two CBI officials seems to be never ending with CBI Director Alok Verma on Friday telling the Delhi High Court that a senior law officer had suggested to the agency that prior government approval was not needed before lodging an FIR against Special Director Rakesh Asthana.Verma’s affidavit came in response to Asthana’s plea challenging the FIR.
The affidavit states that Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha’s view was sought by the CBI on the need for prior government approval to lodge an FIR against public servants facing allegations of corruption and he had opined that it was not required.According to the affidavit, ASG had clarified that prior sanction to lodge FIR was not required when an investigation was already underway and when a cognizable offence comes to the notice of a law enforcement agency.
This is one of the grounds taken by Asthana in his plea seeking quashing of the FIR was that no prior approval of the government was taken before the case was registered. Verma also contended that there were sufficient incriminating documents and evidence against all accused —Asthana, DSP Devender Kumar and middleman Manoj Prasad — with CBI and FIR was lodged after the preliminary enquiry disclosed cognizable offences.