CBI arrests DSP in Asthana bribery case

New Delhi : The CBI on Monday arrested its DSP Devender Kumar in connection with bribery allegations against its special Director Rakesh Asthana. Meat exporter Moin Qureshi, who is facing multiple cases of money laundering and corruption, had paid bribe to get a case against him settled, the agency said.

"Kumar, who has been the investigation officer in the Moin Qureshi case, has been arrested on the allegation of falsification of records," the agency said.

According to the CBI, Kumar fabricated the statement of Sathish Sana, a witness in the Quershi case, showing he recorded the statement on Septembert 26 in Delhi. However, investigation has revealed that Sana was not in Delhi. He was in Hyderabad on that day and joined the investigation only on October 1.

Kumar's arrest comes a day after the CBI registered an FIR against Asthana, Kumar and two others. The CBI has alleged that bribes were taken at least five times in December 2017 and October this year.

Asthana, a 1984 batch Indian Police Service officer of Gujarat cadre, is accused of accepting a bribe of Rs two crore from a businessman who was under probe in the Qureshi case in order to "wreck" the investigation. The case was being examined by a special investigation team (SIT) headed by Asthana.