Never seen or met CBI's Rakesh Asthana: Alleged middleman Manoj Prasad

NEW DELHI: Manoj Prasad, alleged middleman in the bribery case registered by CBI against its special Director, today strongly denied that he knows Rakesh Asthana.

Prasad, speaking to the media today, said that he has “never” met Asthana. He went on to say “I have never seen Rakesh Asthana. I have never met him”.

Asthana and a Deputy Superintendent of Police along with two Dubai-based private persons including Manoj Prasad were booked by the CBI on October 15. Asthana has petitioned the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the FIR accusing the CBI Director Alok Verma of implicating him in a false and fabricated case. The High Court has stayed any coercive action against Asthana till December 14. The FIR was registered on the complaint of Satish Babu Sana, an “accused” in the money laundering case against meat exporter Moin Qureshi.


Prasad, who is currently in judicial custody, today denied taking a “single penny” from Sana. “It is all a lie. I have never taken a single penny from him (Sana). I have known him (Sana) for ten years”, Prasad claimed stating that he had business relations with Sana for the past over ten years.

Prasad told this to the media today while he was being taken to the Patiala House Court for resumed hearing of the case against him. Prasad claimed that the case against him is completely “fabricated”. He alleged that he was “suffering” and wanted the “truth” to come out soon.

Allegations levelled by Sana are that an illegal gratification of five crore rupees was demanded by Prasad and his brother at the behest of Asthana to arrange a bailout for Sana in the Moin Qureshi case.

Sana had alleged that Prasad and his brother Somesh Prasad, also a Dubai based individual were the middlemen in the case. In a related development, Sana has been asked by the new SIT probing the Moin Qureshi case to join the investigation on December 17 at 10 am. Sana has not appeared before the CBI despite repeated summons. Sana on Monday had approached the Delhi High Court seeking protect from arrest.

The High Court has sought response from CBI on another application moved by Sana seeking to be impleaded as a party to the ongoing petition filed by Asthana seeking to quash the bribery FIR against him.

The counsel for CBI opposed Sana’s demand stating that there was no need to implead Sana.