'No comments', says CBI officer AK Bassi who was transferred to Port Blair

NEW DELHI: Swarmed by questions over the reason of his transfer, CBI Investigating Officer AK Bassi refused to comment on the order. Bassi was on Wednesday transferred to Port Blair. He was among the top officers who were probing the case against CBI chief Rakesh 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.

Bassi has been transferred to Port Blair as Deputy SP, Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB). Along with him, several other officers including Additional SP CBI SS Gum, CBI DIG Manish Kumar Sinha, DIG Tarun Gauba, DIG Jasbir Singh, DIG Anish Prasad, DIG KR Chaurasia, HoB Ram Gopal and SP Satish Dagar have also been transferred.

CBI said that all transfer orders taken 'in public interest' are to followed with immediate effect.

The central investigating agency overhauled the team probing allegations of corruption against Rakesh Asthana, and brought in some completely new faces. Changes have been effected from the investigation officer to the supervisory level. 

M Nageswar Rao, a 1986-batch Odisha cadre IPS officer, who took over the duties and functions of CBI director late last night, appointed Satish Dagar as superintendent of police to probe the case.