CBI boss batted for UP IPS for induction: Asthana to CVC

LUCKNOW: The war between CBI director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana has also triggered a row over probable officers who were being recommended to join the agency. One of the complaints that CVC is examining from Asthana says that Verma was putting pressure to induct two 1991-batch IPS officers — Rajeev Krishna and RP Upadhyay.

“Soon after Alok Kumar Verma took over as DCBI, Sh KK Sharma, DG, BSF forwarded the name of Rajeev Krishna for induction as joint director CBI. Mr Krishna's wife Ms Meenakshi is an IRS officer and is sister of Rajeshwar Singh, joint director, ED,” Asthana’s letter to CVC said. “DCBI forward name of Krishna to DoPT for induction. Even before induction was considered, GOI repatriated him to UP after five years of deputation,” it said. Krishna worked as IG BSF ops under three successive DGs for five years and returned to his UP cadre recently. He is now additional DG in charge of Lucknow zone.

Sources in ED said, Rajeshwar has been under attack from various quarters since 2011 ever since he took up high level probes involving Sahara, Aircel-Maxis deal, Jagan Reddy, Madhu Koda and 2G spectrum sale. "I have paid price for not just clinging on to my integrity and for doing what the law required me to do. Many times energy wasted on every day battles — anonymous and pseudonymous complaints,” he had written to revenue secretary in June this year.

Asthana's letter further said: “In years 2011-12, Upadhyay was on deputation to ED. At that time, CBI placed phones of three ED officers namely — R P Upadhyay, Rajeshwar Singh and Vikas Mehta under telephone surveillance. During TS , it was observed that all three were using SIM cards of Nepal to avoid surveillance by Indian agencies. No criminal case was registered and TS files were destroyed after six months” it said.

“The then JD (policy) did not recommend Upadhyay’s name but DCBI Alok Verma overruled the inputs of internal vigilance unit and forwarded the name of Upadhyay to DoPT for induction.

However, he is not inducted into CBI till date,” Asthana’s letter says.