The Chandigarh Vigilance Department will investigate allegations of a local dentist that a former CBI special director  influenced police to lodge a case of cheating against him on the complaint of an NRI woman, officials said.

Dr Mohit Dhawan had filed a complaint against Asthana; former Chandigarh DGP Tajinder Singh Luthra; former DSP Satish Kumar; Inspector Ashwani Attri and an NRI woman before the CBI Director in New Delhi last year. The doctor also levelled allegations of extortion, harassment and fabrication of documents by police. The CBI had forwarded the complaint of Dr Dhawan to the Chandigarh Vigilance Department recently.

In 2018, the Chandigarh Police had registered a case of cheating against the doctor on the complaint of US national G D' Souza, who had alleged that Dr Dhawan's dental implant procedure on her was improper. The dentist had claimed that the case was registered against him under the pressure of the senior CBI officer and the former Chandigarh DGP. The doctor alleged that he had filed a cheque-bounce case against D'Souza in a court after her cheque for Rs 7 lakh was dishonoured.

"A staff member of the Vigilance office acknowledged that my complaint to the CBI has been forwarded to the Vigilance Department here on December 28," the doctor claimed. In his complaint to the CBI, Dr Dhawan had attached copies of a few e-mails accessed through an RTI, which claim that the NRI woman had contacted Asthana. Police said the matter is sub-judice in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.