Moin Akhtar Qureshi case: HC seeks CBI response on businessman's plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday asked Central Bureau of Investigation to file response to a businessman's plea seeking quashing of a look-out circular (LOC) issued against him in related with a corruption case against meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked CBI to file reply on businessman Sathish Sana Babu, who is a witness in the businessman Moin Qureshi case.

Sathish has challenged the LOC issued against him saying that he is not an accused in the matter and that he joined the investigation whenever required. He said that LOC is illegal, arbitrary, mala fide, and violates his fundamental rights. He was detained at an airport on September 25 last year and was not allowed to travel outside the country.

Sathish's statement led to an FIR against then CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana. CBI has alleged that Asthana accepted a bribe of Rs 2 crore from a businessman who was being probed in the Qureshi case to "wreck" the investigation. The case was being examined by a special investigation team headed by Asthana.

The FIR has escalated a fight between CBI former chief Alok Verma and Asthana who accused each other of taking bribes. Verma was finally removed as CBI chief while the government has curtailed Asthana's tenure in the CBI as Special Director, and appointed him as the new Director General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).