Following CBI Director Alok Verma’s suit, Special Director Rakesh Asthana early on Friday morning moved the Supreme Court challenging the probe agency’s decision to send him on leave.

This comes two days after CBI chief Alok Verma submitted a petition in the Supreme Court against the probe agency’s leave order.

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However, the Supreme Court asked Asthana why he was late in challenging the government order and quipped that he had missed the bus.

“Why are you late? You have missed the bus. Your petition is not before us,” said the bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.

Earlier, Asthana’s lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, while leaving for the Supreme Court from his residence, told media persons that there was nothing big about the case, according to ANI.

“It is just one more case. What is big about it? It is not as important as you think it is,” Rohatgi was quoted as saying by the news agency.

The Supreme Court today ordered a Central Vigilance Commission inquiry against CBI Director Alok Verma which is to be completed within two weeks.

Read | Probe against CBI chief Alok Verma to be completed in 2 weeks, rules SC

In an unprecedented move, the Central Bureau of Investigation divested Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana from their duties on Wednesday as the two hit out at each other over bribery accusations in the meat exporter Moin Qureshi money laundering case.

Joint Director M Nageshwara Rao was given the charge of the director with immediate effect.

The CBI had filed an FIR against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe from a businessman, who was related to Moin Akhtar Qureshi case.

The charge against Asthana is that he accepted a bribe to settle a case connected to meat Qureshi, who is facing multiple cases of money laundering and corruption.

On Tuesday, the CBI suspended its DSP and an aide of Asthana, Devender Kumar, who was arrested on Monday on the charge of falsification of records while probing allegations against meat exporter Moin Qureshi.

Interestingly, before being named in the alleged case of bribery, Asthana had filed a complaint against CBI Director Alok Verma accusing him of corruption and irregularities in 10 cases.