Former CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana was on Monday appointed Director-General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF). Currently, DG Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) S S Deswal, a batchmate of Asthana, was holding the additional charge of BSF since March this year.
Asthana, a 1984-batch Gujarat cadre officer, has been involved in investigating some high-profile cases such as the Sabarmati Express fire incident in Godhra in 2002. He also arrested Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam in 1997, while holding the post of superintendent of police in the CBI.
The IPS officer is at present working as the Director General of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
He has been appointed the Director General (DG) of Border Security Force from the date of joining the post and up to July 31, 2021, i.e. date of his superannuation, a Personnel Ministry order said. He is also holding additional charge of DG, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
Asthana’s name came into spotlight in 2018’s ‘CBI vs CBI’ case when Rakesh Asthana, then Special Director of CBI, was removed from the agency because of a bitter battle with then CBI chief Alok Verma. Both officers had accused each other of influencing the investigation involving a high-profile multi-billion dollars worth trader Moin Qureshi.
Meanwhile, VSK Kaumudi has been appointed as Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Home Ministry. He is a 1986 batch IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, and is presently working as DG, Bureau of Police research and Development (BPR&D). He has been appointed Special Secretary (Internal Security), Ministry of Home Affairs up to November 30, 2022 i.e. date of his superannuation, the order said.
His batchmate from Uttar Pradesh cadre, Md Jawed Akhtar has been appointed the DG, Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guard. Akhtar will hold the charge of the post for a period upto July 31, 2021 i.e. date of his superannuation, it added. He is presently working as Special DG, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
