Chief Vigilance Commissioner K.V. Chowdary said on Thursday that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Kumar Verma had given an adverse comment against the elevation of Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana.
He told The Hindu that the five-member committee took note of the “frank views” made by Mr. Verma, but unanimously cleared the elevation of Mr. Asthana from Additional Director to Special Director, CBI. “It is not that if somebody says something, it has to go through. There are different levels and hierarchies,” Mr. Chowdary said.
Asked if it meant that the CBI Director’s report had no value, Mr. Chowdary said: “He gave his views, he is entitled to be consulted. In the past there have been many instances [when the committee has not been unanimous]. One instance is that of [retired IPS officer] Archana Ramasundram. I cannot disclose what he said in his dissent note.”
The five-member Selection Committee headed by Mr. Chowdary and comprising two Vigilance Commissioners, Home and Personnel secretaries met on October 21 to decide on the promotion of senior officers of the CBI, which included Additional Directors and Superintendents of Police.
In a two-page dissent note, Mr. Verma had recommended that Mr. Asthana’s elevation should be kept in abeyance till investigations are completed. His name had surfaced in the “Diary 2011” seized by the CBI during a raid recently. The diary is mentioned in an FIR registered by the CBI itself on August 30 against three senior Income Tax officials for allegedly accepting bribe from Gujarat-based Sterling Biotech and Sandesara Group of Companies.