New Delhi: In a big blow for the Special Director of CBI, the government on Thursday ‘curtailed’ the tenure of Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana and three other officers of the investigative agency with immediate effect.
The action by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) came a day after Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, moved an application in the Delhi High Court seeking some corrections in the recent judgement.
The Delhi High Court had January 11 dismissed a plea filed by Asthana, seeking quashing of an FIR against him in a bribery case.
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The single judge bench of the High Court refused to grant interim protection to him but Justice Najmi Waziri asked the CBI to maintain the status quo for two weeks.
The High Court had directed the CBI to conclude investigation against Asthana within 10 weeks.
According to a government order, the ACC also “curtailed” the tenure of CBI Joint Director Arun Kumar Sharma, a 1987-batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, CBI DIG Manish Kumar Sinha, a 2000-batch IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, and SP Jayant J Naiknavare, a 2004-batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre.