Rakesh Asthana moved high court to quash FIR filed against him on bribery allegations (File)
A comment by the CBI counsel comparing the agency's No. 2, Rakesh Asthana, with a "pest" prompted a sharp rebuke from the Delhi High Court today. Justice Najmi Waziri warned the lawyer, saying such statements had no place in the court.
The court was hearing Mr Asthana's petition seeking to strike down the first information report or FIR filed against him on bribery allegations when CBI counsel K Raghavacharyulu, in an apparent reference to Mr Asthana, said, "If there is pest in wood, wood will become useless".
Mr Raghavacharyulu again referred to Mr Asthana as pest, saying "wood will be useless, if pest catches it".
Justice Waziri cautioned the CBI lawyer and asked him not to use such words in the court.
"Don't make such statements in the court. Don't use these things here. Such statements have no place in the court," he said.
Rakesh Asthana, who holds the Number 2 position in the country's premier investigation agency, moved high court on Tuesday to quash the FIR filed against him on bribery allegations. He also sought protection from arrest.
Mr Asthana will not be arrested at least till Monday -- when the case is taken up next -- the Delhi High Court said, issuing notice to the CBI and its chief Alok Verma, Mr Asthana's boss.
"The nature and gravity of the case is such that no stay can be granted," said the court.
In an unprecedented row, the CBI named Mr Asthana in a corruption case, alleging he accepted a bribe of three crores from a businessman. In his defense, he said it was his boss, CBI chief Alok Verma, who took bribe. On Monday, the agency conducted a raid in its own headquarters to collect evidence against its Number 2 officer.