The fight within the Central Bureau of Investigation spilled out further in the Supreme Court on Tuesday with separate petitions by the whistleblower in the case against Special Director Rakesh Asthana, and Deputy Superintendent of Police AK Bassi, the former investigating officer of the case. The two approached the SC fearing that the CBI might target them.

Bassi's lawyer Sunil Fernandez sought an early hearing. But the SC bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Justices UU Lalit and KM Joseph, refused to list the matter urgently.

Bassi was removed from the case against Asthana and transferred to Port Blair with effect from October 24. Challenging this order, Bassi said he was being targeted for doing his job. In his petition, he reproduced call records of Asthana and WhatsApp messages exchanged between him and the other accused in the case, which formed part of his investigations.

In his petition, Bassi has requested the top court to summon all the evidence collected by him. He said, "There is a suspicion that the same may be tampered with or destroyed." He said that his successor has started a "roving and fishing" inquiry against him for "falsely implicating" Asthana. He even demanded a setting up a special investigation team.

The other petition was of Hyderabad-based businessman Sana Sathish Babu. In his case, the court directed the Hyderabad police to ensure his protection. CJI Gogoi said, "If there is a person who claims to be a whistleblower and who apprehends threat to his life, certainly he is entitled to adequate protection."

Sana was the whistleblower who blew the lid over charges of bribery and extortion against Asthana following which a first information report (FIR) was registered against the latter. Asthana is on forced leave along with CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma.

However, when senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, who represented Sana, sought quashing of summons issued by the CBI to his client, the bench declined. It felt that the concern of the petitioner will be met if adequate protection is offered to him.

Ramachandran even urged the Court that the summons will be detrimental to the ongoing probe by Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) being monitored by retired SC judge AK Patnaik. Sana requested SC to direct Justice Patnaik to consider the aspect of threat to his life. That request too was discarded as Court felt it was not proper to direct what a retired SC judge should do.

Last week, Asthana and CBI chief Alok Verma were sent on forced leave and M Nageswar Rao was appointed interim CBI chief in a post-midnight decision. The move, sources said, was prompted by the public sparring between the two top officers of the country's premiere probe agency. Both the officers have accused each other of indulging in corrupt practices.

Following a petition by Verma, the top court ordered the Central Vigilance Commission to complete the probe against him in two weeks. In an unprecedented move, the court also roped in retired SC judge Justice AK Patnaik to monitor the investigation by the CVC.
CBI WAR GETS MURKIER

AK Bassi, DSP (CBI)

    Bassi was removed from the case against Asthana and transferred to Port Blair with effect from October 24  
    Bassi says he was targeted for doing his job  
    Produces call records of Asthana and WhatsApp messages exchanged between him and the other accused in the case  
    Bassi requests SC summon all the evidence collected by him  
    Says the material may be tampered with or destroyed  
    Court rejects his plea for an early hearing

SANA SATHISH HYDERABAD BUSINESSMAN

    Whistleblow in the case against Asthana  
    Demands protection saying he fears for his safety  
    SC directs Hyderabad police to provide him security  
    Sana seeks quashing of summons issued to him by CBI  
    SC rejects claims, says he should not face any problem since he would be provided security