Rakesh Asthana

Some Lesser Known Facts About Rakesh Asthana

• Rakesh Asthana is an Indian officer from the 1984-batch of the Indian Police Service of Gujarat cadre. On 22 October 2017, he was appointed as the Special Director at the Central Bureau of Investigation. Later, he also served as the Superintendent of Police, Deputy Inspector General, Additional Director at CBI.

• Asthana worked as a teacher of history at St Xavier’s College in Ranchi soon after completing his higher studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. In 1984, in his first attempt, he cleared his UPSC examination and received the Gujarat cadre.

• During his initial period of appointments as an IPS officer, he served as the Inspector General of Police in the Gujarat Police at Vadodara Range. Soon, he was also appointed as the Police Commissioner of Vadodara City and Surat.

• In 1995, Rakesh Asthana highlighted his name in India as an IPS officer when he investigated the Purulia Arms Drop case. In this case, Rakesh was in the special investigation team appointed by the CBI. In December 1995, the unauthorised arms were dropped from an Antonov An-26 aircraft in Purulia district in West Bengal.

• Rakesh Asthana leaded various high-profile investigations during his career. In the early 2000s, under the guidance of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi, Asthana was given the charge of Vadodara’s police commissioner. He was the head of the investigation team that probed the 2002 Sabarmati Express fire incident in Godhra that led to the death of 59 persons. ^[7]Freepress Journal

• In 2008, Rakesh Asthana was given the charge to investigate the bomb blast that happened on 26 July 2008. This bomb blast occurred in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Reportedly, this blast killed 45 people and injured more than 150. Later, a group of terrorists named Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for this blast. ^[8]The Wall Street Journal

• In 2015, Rakesh was the head to investigate the former liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya in the alleged loan fraud and money laundering case under the special investigation team (SIT) formed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The amount involved in the fraud was nearly Rs. 9,000 crores. ^[9]Freepress Journal

• In 2016, Rakesh was questioned while investigating the wedding of his daughter by the CBI team. Reportedly, the hotels and venues including The Laxmi Vilas Palace, Hotel Express Towers, Suncity Club and Resort and Surya Palace Hotel were investigated by the CBI team. He was interrogated for the lavish wedding of his daughter, as the owners of the hotels stated that the venue of the wedding was provided to the Asthana family on a complimentary basis.

• In 2017, the Fodder Scam was also investigated by Rakesh Asthana. This scam involved the misappropriation of Rs 9.4 billion from the government treasury in Bihar, India. Lalu Prasad Yadav was the main culprit during Rakesh Asthana’s investigation in the fodder scam. In 1996, he filed a charge sheet against Lalu Yadav. In the following year, Lalu was arrested. ^[10]Freepress Journal A senior retired journalist told media persons about Rakesh Asthana,
  

  Such was the aura of Lalu Prasad during the mid-90s that no police officer could dare to quiz the then chief minister of Bihar. But Rakesh Asthana interrogated Lalu for six consecutive hours. It was on the basis of this probe that a charge sheet was filed in the fodder scam, which eventually led to Lalu’s arrest in 1997.”

• In 2018, Rakesh Asthana investigated the case of Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai. A case was filed against Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai by two sisters who were said to be their followers. Reportedly, the complaints of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other charges were filed against them in 2018. Soon, Narayan Sai was arrested by Delhi Police from the Delhi-Haryana border at the end of 2018. Upon his arrest, Narayan Sai accepted the rape allegations levelled against him by the women. ^[11]The Hindu Business Line While addressing a press conference after Narain sai’s arrest, Rakesh Asthana said,
  

  Sai’s remand gets over today, his further police custody will be sought for interrogation and gathering evidence against him and he will be produced in the court later in the day. It has also come to light that he fathered a child with one of his sevikas (disciple).”

  He further added,

  During our intense questioning, Sai has more or less accepted the rape allegations levelled against him by one of the two (Surat-based) sisters.”

• In August 2020, Rakesh Asthana was appointed as the chief of the Border Security Force (BSF) and was given the additional charge of the Narcotics Control Bureau. Rakesh had also served as the Director-General of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security up to 31 July 2021.

• In 2020, Border Security Force said about Rakesh Asthana in their press conference while his appointment as chief,
  

  Rakesh Asthana is the 27th Director General of BSF, which is the largest Border Guarding Force of the world having a strength of approximately 2,65,000 brave and dedicated men and women, protecting the International Borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.”

• In 2020, in an interview, Rakesh Asthana was asked that how the investigation in Rhea Chakraborty‘s case reached the NCB. He was the special investigating officer in Rhea’s involvement in drugs. He then replied,
  

  Rhea’s case is not small. Through this, a systematic running racket has been exposed, whose strings are linked to Dubai and terrorist organizations. Illegal drugs are bought for rave parties. The proceeds from it are used to spread terror. A kilogram of “bud” made from curated marijuana costs Rs 8 lakh. People like Rhea are role models for the youth, so they cannot be forgiven. We have to set an example for people to stop using drugs.”

• Rakesh Asthana caught DGMS Director-General while taking the bribe in Dhanbad. In April 2021, Arvind Kumar, Deputy Director General at the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), Dhanbad, along with Triloki Nath Singh and Kailash Mandal, a relative of Kumar, were trapped by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while taking the Rs. 35 lakh as the first instalment of the bribe. Triloki Nath Singh and Kailash Mandal were allegedly favouring some of the candidates who were appeared in the oral examination for the manager’s post that was conducted by the DGMS. Initially, these candidates were already qualified in the computer-based examination and went on to the oral exams. The total bribe was Rs. 72 lakh from 48 candidates. ^[12]Hindustan Times

• On 27 July 2021, four days before his superannuation, Rakesh was appointed as the new Delhi Police Commissioner by the Narendra Modi government until 31 July 2022. Indian Deputy Secretary, BG Krishnan, in a Home Ministry notification stated,
  

  The approval of the appointment committee of the Cabinet has been conveyed, dated July 27, 2021, for the Inter Cadre deputation of Rakesh Asthana, from Gujarat cadre to AGMUT Cadre and extending his service initially for a period of one year beyond the date of his superannuation on July 31,2021, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, in relaxation of Rule 16 (1) of the All India Services (death-cum-retirement benefits) rules, 1958 as a special case in public interest. In pursuance of the said approval, Asthana is hereby appointed as Commissioner of Police, Delhi, with effect from the date of taking over charge up to July 31, 2022, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. This issues with the approval of the competent authority.”

• According to Rakesh Asthana, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is his ideal.