The CBI has given clean chit to its former special director Rakesh Asthana, a Gujarat cadre IPS officer considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in connection with a bribery scandal in 2018.

The case had triggered an unprecedented public feud between Asthana and the then CBI director, Alok Verma. Both were benched by the Centre after a controversial midnight raid.

The agency has also absolved RAW official Samant Goel of all charges in its chargesheet filed before a Delhi court on Tuesday, sourced said.

Speculation is rife that the Centre is considering to appoint Asthana, who is now heading the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, as the new Delhi police commissioner. Earlier this month, Amulya Patnaik was given a month’s extension as the police chief in “in public interest”.

Asthana was booked on charges of graft in October 2018 on a complaint from Sathish Sana, a Hyderabad-based businessman who was a co-accused in a corruption case against meat exporter Moin Qureshi. Sana had alleged that then special director had assured him of a clean chit in return for a bribe.

Asthana had denied all the allegations.