The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked its own crooked Special Director Rakesh Asthana for accepting Rs. 2 crores as bribe to sabotage the probe against controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi. CBI also caught the Research and Analytical Wing (RAW)’s No: 2 officer Samant Kumar Goel for fixing the deal between Qureshi and Asthana to close the probe. CBI’s Anti-Corruption Unit 3 has arrested one Manoj Kumar, the middleman who gave money to settle the case on October 16. Senior CBI officials confirmed this unprecedented development and said that a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Asthana on October 15 and Manoj Kumar has confessed and recorded his statement before the Magistrate on giving bribes. The deal was brokered by RAW officer Goel for Rs.5 crores and CBI special wing intercepted the conversations and Rs.2 crores was already paid.
Manoj Kumar admitted to CBI that he was paying bribe to Asthana on behalf of Qureshi, who is facing several cases from the CBI. The FIR names Rakesh Asthana, Moin Qureshi and Manoj Kumar as accused. The FIR also said that RAW’s senior officer Samant Kumar Goel, 1984 batch IPS officer from Punjab cadre was also part of the extortion gang in CBI and facilitated Qureshi in closing the case by paying bribe. At present Goel is not made as accused in the FIR, though it detailed his role in facilitating bribe to Asthana. CBI team has recorded his statement and may soon add him also as accused along with Asthana. The Punjab cadre IPS officer Goel is No: 2 in External Affairs intelligence agency RAW and serving in the rank of an Additional Secretary and head of the West Asia Desk. Sources said that he was in regular touch with Qureshi and his conduits in Dubai. Recently National Security Advisor Ajit Doval found that Goel is dealing with many shady characters in Dubai and submitted a dossier on this regard.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were briefed about the developments, as soon as after the CBI’s special wing had intercepted the calls of Manoj Kumar and Rakesh Asthana talks on how to hand over the money on behalf of Moin Qureshi. CBI Director Alok Verma has moved files for the suspension of Asthana to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). RAW Chief A K Dhasmana has also moved files regarding the suspension of Goel from service.
Asthana is also facing probes in six cases by CBI including accepting bribes from controversial Sandesara Group and jailed journalist-cum-fixer Upendra Rai. CBI has stated that Asthana was facing probes over these cases and that was the reason he filed cases to CVC against Director Alok Verma and Additional Director AK Sharma.
PMO officers expressed shock on how Asthana dared to dilute the cases against Congress leader Ahmed Patel’s trusted man Moin Qureshi, whose shoddy dealing were criticised by Prime Minister in many public rallies from 2013. It is learned that Modi has asked CBI Director to proceed in all cases against tainted Rakesh Asthana.
Meat Exporter and hawala operator Moin Queshi is now facing seven cases in CBI and RAW’s West Asia Chief was trying to help him through Asthana, said sources. The agencies believe Congress leader Ahmed Patel had “intoxicated” Rakesh Asthana to this stage.
Samant Kumar Goel was eyeing to become next RAW Chief. He is very close to Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh, who is believed to have promised DGP’s post, if he could not bag RAW Chief’s post in the coming months.
It is learned that two days back, NSA Ajit Doval was tasked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to go for integrity and check the antecedents of all top police officials and senior bureaucrats, after the Asthana incident.
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[…] CBI catches its insider thief Rakesh Asthana for accepting Rs.2 crores from dubious meat exporter Mo… – Oct 21, 2018, […]
I am surprised that various channels and sources are favoring Asthana over Varma. If Asthana was the blue eyed boy from Gujarat then how he could carry on this racket for so long. Further why no one looked into the delays and shoddy investigation carried out by CBI into various scams where the culprits have not been jailed or are acquitted by courts. If Asthana was corrupt then what was the team of Varma doing, sleeping over everything and enjoying the perks. Had they check the papers and evidence then they could have pointed out the mistakes in investigation. At present, it is Asthana who has complained to the CVC about dilution of cases, the Varma team acted by FIR against Asthana to avoid the complaint by Asthana and CVC action.
So who is right. If both are compromised then it was the right decision to sack both of them.
The CBI and Indian Police is so much compromised that they are just bothered to collect heavy bribes for letting the culprits escape. The Judiciary, Police, Politicians and IAS lobby are all involved and if caught of any wrongdoing they group together and these officers escape with just a warning or transfer. Just check how many of such corrupt officers were sacked prior to NDA. These groups act like gangs, help in destroying evidences, hide or destroy the files, some may even burn all records and then say that the fire was due to electrical short circuit.
Time to investigate the fortunes of all Politicians, Police, IAS, IRS, ED, CBI, PSU, Railways, RBI officers and check their assets (including the Benami).
All assets linked to Aadhar is the only way. But our Judiciary should open their eyes and allow that. May be they are also afraid that some of them will get caught too.
It is disgusting to see how rotten is our bureaucracy. It is very important to have someone who is well versed with this cabal in Delhi. Modi being new and goes by his own , very pron to manipulation. Why doesn’t he trust Swami(sri Krishna)?
बापूजी और नारायण साई जी पर झूठा मुक़दमा दर्ज कर प्रताड़ित करने वाला, उस समय का सूरत पुलिस कमिश्नर और अमित शाह/नरेंद्र मोदी का ख़ास राकेश आस्थाना देश के लिए आस्थिन का साँप निकला, जिसको मोदी सरकार ने CBI Director बनाया हुआ है, उस पर 2 करोड़ रिश्वत लेने का आरोप, दर्ज हुई FIR*
राकेश नहीं ये रावण अस्थाना है
The last statement Mr.Devol’s new task assignment is fantastic. Few Indian movies shots are running in my mind. Hope we see results soon.
It is hilarious to note that PMO office is aware of it only now. Through P gurus the entire world is aware of it for so many years . Keep up the good work Sree Iyer and team as you bring real professionlism to Journalism. I am an avid reader of your columns.
The PM will be a ridiculed for keeping Dr Swamy out of governance. Dr Swamy should be our Dy PM cum Finance minister to have a clean and progressive INDIA.
[…] CBI catches its insider thief Rakesh Asthana for accepting Rs.2 crores from dubious meat exporter Mo… – Oct 21, 2018, […]
Awesome! You have been pointing the problem that existed. Good they have been caught now and more actions will follow. Glad Ajit Doval is given the responsibility to validate the integrity. At last!!
[…] CBI catches its insider thief Rakesh Asthana for accepting Rs.2 crores from dubious meat exporter Mo… – Oct 21, 2018, […]
First step in Information Security domain to be done is to secure local (area) network. This rule applies to any system. No idea why NaMo Govt. is carrying out this operation as a last step. Hope there is a valid reason to justify delayed action.
Right under the nose of Ministry of Home such grave blunders are happening ,what is the Home minister doing??He is completely silent. How can you run a government like this.Home minister should pull up the concerned or else PM should have another Home minister to run the department efficiently. As an honest citizen i call for action on this issue within 72 hours.
https://youtu.be/GaCbjI-kqv8
PMO should ensure that these officers don’t escape. Because these are all hard core criminals having their own lobbies to help them get away !
what about incometax department. CBDT chairman sushil chandra and his puppet Abhoy shankar PrCCIT Mumbai who are minting money in hundreds of crore from mumbai city.
I’m shockingly frustrated by these disclosures.How can we ensure security of our borders and people when such high ranking officers are indulging in gross Corruption of such magnitude.They can sell the country for any cost and get asylum in any country of their liking.
These Officers must be arrested and subjected to custodial interrogation to recover the dubious money from them.
BJP is supposed to be a national party with ambition to rule this country.If so, the first step should have been a who is who analysis of top 500-1000 officials heading various departments,their antecedents,loyalties and track record.After 4 years, finding out that a close official from modi’s gujrat days is a first rate slippery slope says a lot about modi/bjp capabilities..Good luck to indians
Too little & too late… Modi govt got caught with pants & dhoti down. It is well known to all citizens that these IAS & IPS babus are corrupt to the core. When they have govt jobs, they should be sincere & honest, but the cosy jobs made them more greedy & have made corruption as their daily bread.
That the govt. agencies are catching up with the corrupt officials is indeed good news and kudos to P Gurus for bringing out the information in details while the MSM as usual is busy with news of petty politics. One hopes that the PMO will wake up and book all those involved in corruption irrespective of their stature, before it is too late.
These are the weeds planted by the corrupt family regime. They should have thrown out in the beginning itself. They will continue to make the premier institutions weak if they are continued
Happiness knows no bounds. Adhia and removal of AJ will seal the house of PMO. Approval to prosecute the Finance Babu’s will be a happy ending of SS efforts.
Unless and other wise some top bureaucrats, ministers, mps and mlas are arrested for bribery and other criminal activities and handed punishments by courts on quick time basis, it will be difficult to have any achievements in our country. Merely making some charges against some subordinates of these big fishes will not be a lesson for future government servants to act properly and serve people.
Good report. But why it took so much time for the PMO to take action against such tainted folks. I am surprised that when BJP came to power, why it did not cherry pick the best and passionate officers at the helm? Everyone knows that many bureaucrats are tainted, so why take such a long time to do a “Background check”?
Crooked fraud Asthana should be put in jail
Under the guidance of our HOn PM, our Ajit doel should enquire into the wealth position of all the Chairman. CEO and Directors of the Public Sector underetakings and the all the top most judges of hon SC and HC and leaders of all political parties , CM,s and other Ministers , MLA and Mp’s and reconclie their wealth position along with their Annual income tax returns file of past 10 to 15 years) including their wards and their close relatives and their friends. After that India will not imposte any tax on people in future That all the Govt spend money is being pooled in the above peoles pocket only.
Time & again it is proved beyond doubt the insiders in Govt are helping subotage inquiries against top UPA leaders. PM must now step in to weed out these elements ASAP.
The integrity check on senior beurocrats should have been done immediately after NDA came to power in 2014. Modi’s biggest fault was retaining officials with low integrity and ignoring regular warnings by Shri Iyer and Prof Nalapat. In the age of technology, why PMO and NSA is not updating and advising Modi ?
As a retired IRS officer, I must say that, in an acquisitive society guided by the permissive culture of “unjust enrichment”, a bureaucrat CAN NEVER RISE in career UNLESS one is THOROUGHLY CORRUPT and it is ONLY THE CORRUPT WHO ARE PICKED UP BY THE GOVT for its special jobs. This has been the unwritten rule in the totally corrupt IAS-run and controlled bureaucracy.
This is great news. Let’s hope all these are taken to their logical conclusions.
fantastic and couldn’t be better, hope pmo gets its act together
Lol!!!, It sounds too good to be true. I read this article 10 times – every time READING BETWEEN THE LINES
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But I have deep faith in the professionalism of Team PGurus – who won’t print anecdotal versions so emphatically
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What deeply pains me is RAW has such ‘wicked’, ‘unethical’ & ‘impious’ elements – that too at NO.2
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It is evident enough to assert Daku Manmohan has totally confounded & devastated all premier Institutions vital for Internal & external securities.
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The intriguing conundrum (or call it enigma) is how such rascals like Rakhesh Asthana got appointed in CBI under Modi. This shows the deep rot in CVC too – which is instrumental in CBI selection process
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Let us hope such miracles happen in our Ministries too & shady characters like Hasmukh Adhia too get eliminated.
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This should now pave the way for the arrest of criminal elements like Chidambaram & Ahmed Patel.