RAKESH ASTHANA.

▮ Identity sealed · POCSO §23

Investigating officer, IPS; CBI; Gujarat Police

Delhi

“Rakesh Asthana is a highly decorated senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who supervised critical phases of the Gujarat Police investigations into Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai. During his tenure as the Police Commissioner of Surat and later in high-profile federal roles, Asthana played an instrumental role in coordinating actions against the absconding Narayan Sai and uncovering the cult's extensive illegal operations.”

Rakesh Asthana is a 1984-batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre who has held several of the most prominent law enforcement positions in India, including Special Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF), and Commissioner of Delhi Police. In late 2013, when two sisters from Surat came forward with horrific details of sexual assault and prolonged confinement against Asaram Bapu and his son Narayan Sai, Asthana was serving as the Police Commissioner of Surat and assumed supervision of the newly formed Special Investigation Team (SIT).

Under Asthana's direction, the Surat Police launched a multi-state manhunt for Narayan Sai, who had gone into hiding immediately after the FIR was registered. Asthana coordinated intelligence sharing between the Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, and Punjab police forces, which ultimately led to the capture of Narayan Sai near the Haryana-Delhi border in December 2013 while disguised as a Sikh truck driver. Simultaneously, Asthana ordered raids on the cult's ashrams, leading to the historic seizure of 42 gunny bags containing thousands of financial ledgers that detailed a clandestine financial empire.

Asthana's supervision was also critical in dismantling a massive bribery plot initiated by Narayan Sai's aides. While in police custody, Narayan Sai attempted to offer a bribe of Rs 13 crore to Surat police officers and judicial staff to destroy evidence and weaken the prosecution's case. Asthana's team set a trap, arrested the primary conspirators, and seized Rs 5 crore in cash, registering a separate corruption case that severely damaged the defense's legal standing and highlighted the extreme lengths to which the cult would go to subvert justice.

Throughout his career, Asthana was known for handling high-pressure, politically sensitive cases, including the Fodder Scam in Bihar and the Vyapam scam investigation. His work in the Asaram and Narayan Sai cases provided the institutional backbone for the Gujarat prosecution, establishing a rigorous chain of custody for the financial documents that eventually led to Narayan Sai's conviction. Following his retirement from active police service, Asthana remains an influential public figure and commentator on national security and legal affairs.