NSA Ajit Doval tried to influence probe against Rakesh Asthana, CBI officer Manish Sinha tells SC

Manish Kumar Sinha, an IPS officer, has challenged his transfer to Nagpur in his petition filed before the top court.

NEW DELHI: CBI officer Manish Kumar Sinha, who was probing the FIR lodged against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, on Monday made sensational claims before the Supreme Court.

Sinha, an IPS officer, also challenged his transfer to Nagpur in his petition filed before the top court.

In his petition, Sinha claimed that National Security Adviser Ajit Doval tried to influence the ongoing probe into allegations of corruption against CBI number two Rakesh Asthana.

Sinha claimed that Doval did not allow searches that were important to the inquiry. Efforts were also made to influence probe against fugitive businessman and PNB bank loan defaulter Nirav Modi, he alleged.   

The CBI officer further claimed that a union minister of state took "a few crores" to help a businessman under investigation.

Sinha claimed that he had "several documents that will shock the court" to which the top court replied by saying, "nothing shocks us."

Manish Kumar Sinha was part of the investigation team probing Asthana's role in an alleged corruption case.

Sinha mentioned his plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi for an urgent hearing on Tuesday. 

The bench also comprising Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph is scheduled to hear on Tuesday the plea of CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma challenging the government's decision of divesting him of duties and sending him on leave.

Sinha pleaded that his plea be also heard along with Verma on Tuesday. 

He alleged that he was transferred to Nagpur and as a result has been taken out from the probe team investigating the FIR against Asthana. 

Asthana has also been divested of his duties and sent on leave by the central government following his ongoing feud with the CBI Director. 

The CBI had booked Asthana on allegations of receiving a bribe from an accused probed by him in a case linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi.