The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer AK Bassi who was probing corruption allegations against Special Director Rakesh Asthana has moved Supreme court challenging his transfer and sought an SIT probe in the case.

However, the Supreme Court has refused to give an urgent hearing in the matter.

The CBI had overhauled the team probing allegations of corruption against its former Special Director Rakesh Asthana, bringing in completely new faces. Changes were made from the investigation officer to the supervisory level. The previous investigating officer, Deputy SP AK Bassi, was shunted to Port Blair.

AK Bassi has said that he has incriminating evidence against Rakesh Asthana in bribery case and also asked the Supreme Court to call for evidence of technical surveillance.

Bassi also sought setting up a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to investigate charges against Asthana.

Asthana had alleged in his complaint to the Central Vigilance Commission that Bassi was carrying out "roving inquiries" against him on the directions of Alok Verma, the CBI director who has been divested of all powers by the government along with him.

The CBI booked Asthana on October 15 on the basis of a complaint from Satish Sana, facing probe in a 2017 case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, claiming the special director had allegedly helped him to get a clean chit from the probe agency.

Although the CBI cannot arrest Asthana till  November 1, the next date of hearing, the high court had clarified that there was no stay on the probe considering the nature and gravity of the case.

The CBI had on October 22 arrested its DSP, Kumar, in connection with bribery allegations involving the investigative agency's second-in-command, Asthana.

Kumar, earlier the investigating officer in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, was arrested on the allegations of forgery in recording the statement of businessman Sathish Sana, who had alleged to have paid bribe of Rs 2 crore through Manoj Prasad to get relief in the case.+