Central Vigilance Commissioner KV Chaudhary on Wednesday said that he is under an oath of secrecy, and therefore, cannot speak to anybody regarding the Centre's decision to divest the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Alok Verma and special director Rakesh Asthana of all charges over corruption allegations on them.
On being asked to respond on Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana matter, Chaudhary told ANI, "I am under oath of secrecy. I can't speak to anybody."
Earlier in the day, M Nageshwar Rao was appointed as the interim director of the CBI with immediate effect. Rao, a 1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Odisha cadre, was working as the Joint Director in the investigating agency.
He will now look after the duties and functions of Director, CBI, and will take over the duties and functions with immediate effect, read an order from the central government.
The Centre's decision came a day after Asthana moved the Delhi High Court seeking the quashing of First Information Report (FIR) filed against him by the premier investigating agency of India. The court later ordered that no action would be taken against Asthana until next hearing, which is scheduled for October 29.
The CBI had filed an FIR against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe from a businessman, who was linked to Moin Akhtar Qureshi case. Asthana was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was probing Qureshi's case.
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