CBI row: Asthana, 3 others out

Gujarat-cadre IPS officer Asthana, who had an unprecedented spat with his boss Verma, was sent on forced leave by the government in October last year.

The tenures of Asthana, Joint Director Arun Kumar Sharma, Deputy Inspector General Manish Kumar Sinha and Superintendent of Police Jayant J Naiknavare  have been curtailed, the Personnel Ministry said in an order.

Verma and Asthana had levelled allegations of corruption against each other. They were sent on forced leave by the government.

Amid the feud between the two, the CBI registered a corruption case against Asthana when Verma was the agency’s chief.

Meanwhile, the government appointed M Nageshwara Rao as the interim CBI chief.

Rao had then transferred Sinha, who was probing the FIR against Asthana, to Nagpur from the agency’s Delhi headquarters. His transfer was, however, reversed by Verma who was again in January given the charge of the CBI Director following a decision by the Supreme Court.

Verma was shunted out as the CBI chief by the Modi-led high-powered committee that comprised Supreme Court judge AK Sikri and Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge as the members.