CBI chief removal by PM is unconstitutional and illegal: Rahul Gandhi

Addressing a press conference, Rahul said: "Removal and appointment of CBI Director is decided by 3 member committee- PM, CJI & Leader of Opposition."

"CBI Director was removed by Prime Minister in the middle of the night. Apart from being an insult to the people of India, it is unconstitutional and illegal."

The Centre on Wednesday midnight sent both CBI chief Alok Verma and the federal probe agency's special director, Rakesh Asthana, on leave after the two were engaged in a rift.

The government has appointed M Nageshwar Rao as an interim chief of the probe agency.

Questioning the timing of the removal of the CBI chief, Rahul said: "The main reason for this removal of CBI Director at midnight is that the CBI was going to begin an investigation on the role of PM in Rafale scam and the corruption carried out by him."

Alleging a cover up of scams by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government, the Congress chief said: "Not only was the CBI Director removed, his office too was sealed and incriminating documents were taken."

Rahul Gandhi during press conference on Thursday (Image: twitter.com/INCIndia)

Verma, meanwhile, moved the Supreme Court against his removal on Wednesday. His plea will be heard by the top court on Friday.

Astana, who moved the Delhi High court against the First Information Report (FIR) report lodged against him over the bribery case by his own organisation, bringing to fore an infighting within India's premier federal investigation agency, will not be arrested till Monday.

Asthana, who is engaged in a turf war with Verma, had sought a direction from the high court that no coercive action be taken against him in the case.

The CBI on Monday arrested its Deputy Superintendent of Police, Devender Kumar, in connection with a bribery case that laid bare the probe agency's internal conflict.

The CBI said Kumar was arrested on charges of falsification of records in an ongoing investigation and said “the role of other officers of SIT (special investigation team) CBI, then supervising the Moin Qureshi case” was also being probed, reported Hindustan Times.

After bribery charges were slapped against him, Asthana in a written statement to the government said a "false FIR (First Information Report)" has been lodged against him".

Asthana has been named by Satish Sana, a Hyderabad businessman, who was being investigated in a case involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi, arrested in a money laundering case, the report said.

Sana claimed he had to cough up a bribe of Rs. two crores to Rakesh Asthana over a period of over 10-months so that he is not named in the CBI case against Moin Qureshi.

However, Asthana rubbished the charges saying it was hurled against him owing to a conspiracy between the accuser and some CBI and Enforcement Directorate officers.