New Delhi: An affidavit submitted by the Centre in the Supreme Court hints at giving acting CBI director Rakesh Asthana regular charge of the central probe agency.
“It is a consistent practice followed in CBI to give charge of the post of Director, CBI to an officer who will work as an acting director,” the affidavit reads.
It was filed by the government in response to a plea challenging the appointment of Asthana as interim director of the CBI, making it the first instance in 10 years that the agency does not have a full-time director.
“The process of appointment of a regular Director, CBI could not be made due to several unavoidable circumstance like ongoing Parliament session, advancement of the date for presentation of budget, and several pressing and complex issues like combating menace of black money matters of national border security which required urgent attention(sic),” the government told the Supreme Court.
The PIL, filed by Prashant Bhushan’s Common Cause NGO, has sought the quashing of Asthana’s appointment in accordance with the Vineet Narain case.
Asthana, a 1984 Gujarat cadre IPS officer, has held several important positions in Gujarat Police. He was also part of a Special Investigative Team (SIT) set up by the Gujarat government to probe the Godhra train burning case.
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