by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Modi Govt. goes soft on Asthana, Sharma,
Rakesh Asthana Made Aviation security Chief,
AK Sharma sent to CRPF
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Jan. 18
Instead of sending the "rogue officers" shunting out of Delhi, the Modi government showed some mercy on its favourite IPS officers Rakesh Asthana and A K Sharma today. The government on Friday appointed Rakesh Asthana, deposed No.2 officer in the CBI, as the Director, Civil Aviation Security and retained A K Sharma in Delhi too.
Asthana, a 1984 batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre, will now head the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and serve the organisation for a period of two years, unless curtailed later.
The controversial Joint Director of the CBI, Arun Kumar Sharma, has been transferred as assistant director general of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). He is also a Gujrat cadre IPS officer and considered close to the top BJP leadership. DIG Manish Kumar Sinha whose tenure was also curtailed yesterday for levelling allegations against Asthana, Doval & others, is understood to have been transferred to Bureau of Police Research and Development.
While Asthana was considered close to the PMO, Arun Kumar Sharma was close to deposed CBI director Alok Verma. Interestingly, the government has not yet accepted the resignation of Alok verma from the IPS even after the lapse of one week. No official reasons have been given so far by the government for not accepting his resignation.
It seems the government is thinking of initiating some disciplinary action against him for what he had said in the Supreme Court. His petition has not yet been heard by the SC.
Alok Verma was transferred to the post of director general of fire service, civil defence and home guard. Verma, however, refused the posting and resigned from the Indian Police Service.
