In CBI’s Case Against Its No 2 Rakesh Asthana, 9 Calls, WhatsApp Messages


Team Udayavani, Oct 22, 2018, 11:28 AM IST

New Delhi: The CBI claims to have analysed nine phone calls immediately after middleman Manoj Prasad was held in the alleged bribery case against its Special Director, Rakesh Asthana, to allege that there was panic after the middleman’s brother got “wind” of the arrest, officials said Sunday.

The agency has registered a case against Mr Asthana on the basis of claims made by a businessman, Sathish Sana, probed by him in a separate case, that he was asked to pay a bribe of Rs. 5 crore by Manoj Prasad, an investment banker based in Dubai to get relief from repeated summons and a clean chit in the case, they said.

Surprisingly, Mr Asthana, the second-in-command in the agency, had intimated the cabinet secretary nearly two months ago that Sana had allegedly paid a bribe of Rs. 2 crore to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Chief Alok Verma to get relief in the case.

The agency, however, claimed Sunday that Mr Sana had appeared before the magistrate and stated that he made payments between December, 2017 and October, 2018 to a middleman, who had cited his purported connection with MrAsthana to ensure relief for him.

On the basis of his claims, the agency arrested Manoj Prasad on October 16 when he was returning from Dubai to allegedly collect an installment of the agreed bribe amount.

Nowhere in the statement, which is now part of the FIR, made public nearly five days after registration, Sana had mentioned any direct meeting, interaction or payment of bribe to Mr Asthana.

According to the call data analysis done by the CBI, the phone calls were allegedly exchanged between Asthana and a senior officer of another intelligence agency, who wanted to confirm the details of the middleman’s arrest.

The calls were also exchanged between the senior officer and the wife of the middleman Somesh Prasad, brother of middleman Manoj Prasad, among others, an officer claimed.

The sources claimed that call data records show that four calls were exchanged between Asthana and the senior officer on October 17, 2018, a day after the arrest.

They claimed that Somesh Prasad, “somehow” got news of the latter’s arrest on October 16, 2018 and immediately called his contact, the senior officer of the intelligence agency on the same day.

A call was then made by the officer to Somesh within a minute, they claimed.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Incentive fund for SC/ST students of national institutes increased, says Minister Mahadevappa

Terminal 2 of Bengaluru airport gets 4,000 sqft hydroponic green wall

Waqf properties row: JPC Chairman receives over 500 petitions from aggrieved farmers in Karnataka

Asaduddin Owaisi questions Waqf Bill JPC Chairman’s Karnataka visit

Kinnigoli: Truck carrying red stone collides with Auto-Rickshaw; driver injured

UP govt to install 150,000 toilets for Maha Kumbh, set up paying guest facilities

Kavoor Police arrest two notorious cattle thieves

Related Articles More

Kerala CM Vijayan alleges Priyanka contesting Wayanad bypoll with Jamaat-e-Islami support

PM Modi greets BJP veteran L K Advani on his birthday

Congress slams BJP for objecting to colour of Constitution copy carried by Rahul Gandhi

Asaduddin Owaisi questions Waqf Bill JPC Chairman’s Karnataka visit

Felling of trees: What is being done to restore Delhi Ridge? SC asks DDA

MUST WATCH

Gho Pooja in Deepavali Festival

Melukote Deepavali

Ganapathi Co-operative Society Ltd

Udayavani Chinnara Banna 2024

Annapoorna Aahar | Food Places In Mysore


Latest Additions

Kerala CM Vijayan alleges Priyanka contesting Wayanad bypoll with Jamaat-e-Islami support

‘America of your dreams calling’: Biden to Democratic supporters

PM Modi greets BJP veteran L K Advani on his birthday

Geethartha Chinthane – 87: Kunti as a model of courage for women

Karkala: Sr Donalda Pais, headmistress of Arunodaya Special School, passes away

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.