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Editor’s Note

Restore glory of CBI as ‘the caged

parrot’ loses even the cage

Rewind to 2013 when Justice RM Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief
Lodha called the CBI “its master’s Justice of India. The CBI’s ball is now with the Supreme
voice” and a “caged parrot”. Fast Court and it is Apex Court’s second major intervention
forward to 2018, the “caged par- in the working of the premier investigating agency. It
rot” has lost even its cage and has done well to order a time-bound and monitored
credibility which has touched its inquiry by a former Supreme Court Judge A.K. Patnaik.
nadir-its two top officers relieved of The court has asked the interim Director to confine
their services and the interim director himself to routine tasks to keep the agency’s work go-
divested of powers to take policy decisions. ing and has sought the details in a sealed cover. Judicial
Unfortunate is a small word to describe what is going intervention was indeed called for in such a surcharged
on in the premier investigating agency of the country. atmosphere as reports suggested that four men from
Its top officials are leveling bribery charges and counter the IB were caught by Verma’s security staff on suspi-
charges against each other. The CBI has booked Special cion of mounting surveillance on him. There is a big
Director Rakesh Asthana for accepting bribe from an rot at the very heart of the CBI. The present case was
accused probed by him. The FIR was filed against Astha- preceded by allegations against former CBI Director
na almost two months after he had shot off a letter to Ranjit Sinha of helping the accused in several cases and
the Cabinet Secretary, accusing his boss, CBI Director he was asked to keep away from the 2G scam. Similarly,
Alok Kumar Verma, of indulging in a series of corrup- A.P. Singh, another director, was booked last year for
tion acts. The Central Vigilance Commission that exer- alleged links with meat exporter Moin Qureshi and Te-
cises superintendence over the functioning of the CBI helka published messages exchanged over the phone
for investigation of offences related to the prevention between the two. The public expects highest standard
of corruption is probing the charges. from the premier investigation agency of the country.
The midnight action-replacing of Alok Verma as CBI Its glory must be restored. The Narendra Modi govern-
Director (though his term is protected by law), divest- ment has the opportunity to take steps to improve CBI’s
ing both Verma and Asthana of their powers, new act- efficiency and integrity.
ing director, M. Nageswara Rao transferring 13 officers
raises many questions. Section 4B of the Delhi Special
Police Establishment Act assures a two-year tenure for
the CBI Director and he cannot be transferred except
by a high-power committee consisting of the Prime (charanjit ahuja)

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Volume 15, Issue no. 21, 1-15 noVember 2018, released on 1 noVember, number of pages including cover 68
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3 Editor'sNote.indd 3 02/11/18 10:55 AM