Probing questions: Why is CBI in the news and who selects its top brass

How the Central Bureau of Investigation, the premier investigating agency of India, operates, and why it finds itself in the thick of a controversy

Why is the CBI in the news?

The battle is between current CBI chief Alok Verma and his number two and special director Rakesh Asthana.

Verma is a 1979 batch IPS AGMUT cadre officer, while Asthana is a 1984 batch Gujarat cadre officer. Asthana was appointed to the CBI as special director in October 2017. In August 2017, an FIR was lodged in the Rs 38 million Sterling Biotech bribery case. Asthana’s name cropped up during the investigation. CBI chief Verma pointed at the case to oppose Asthana’s appointment as special director, but to no avail.

Asthana has investigated the