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column

Sordid drama at CBI adds

to its ‘caged parrot’ image

The top investigation agency, which has from time to time courted controversies and
Hard criticism for its handling of politically sensitive cases, should now be given necessary
autonomy so that it inspires public confidence
LIne

Anil Singh ndoubtedly, the Central Bureau alleged failure to function impartially and
of Investigation (CBI) has been objectively as an agency of law; nonethe-
hogging news headlines for its less, concurrently there has always been an
The columnist is investigating acumen; nev- ever-increasing demand for investigation
Executive Editor of U ertheless, currently it is in the of complicated cases involving influential
News24 news news for wrong reasons in the wake of persons to be handed over to the CBI.
channel. The views tussle between its special director Rakesh Chequered history of the CBI manifests
here expressed are the Asthana and director Alok Verma. In the all that have been wrong with India’s gov-
author’s own wake of allegations and counter-allegations, ernance. In April 1970, the then government
the CBI on October 22 had arrested its at the Centre had contemplated of framing
deputy superintendent of police Devender a central law for the CBI, a proposal that is
Kumar who was also named in the corrup- still languishing. The 1978 L.P. Singh com-
tion case registered against Asthana. On mittee report on reforming the CBI was also
the other hand, Asthana, about a couple consigned to the archives.
of months back, had shot off a letter to the The recommendations of the estimates
Cabinet Secretary, accusing his CBI Director committee of the parliament (1991-92) had
Verma of indulging in a series of corruption called for laying down a clear-cut policy
acts, and also accused Verma of interfer- stating the purpose of CBI’s functioning
ing in investigations carried out under his and had suggested a legislation defining its
supervision. The cabinet secretary asked charter. The committee was definitely of
the Central Vigilance Commission to look the view that unless the CBI was accorded
into the matter. a statutory status and well-defined legal
The ongoing tussle between the two powers to investigate cases which have
top most officials of the apex investigating ramifications in states, its effectiveness
agency invited the intervention of PM Modi would decline considerably and abruptly.
on October 21 and accordingly, CBI Direc- However, no tangible outcome of these
tor Verma in his meeting with the prime recommendations has become discernible.
minister briefed the latter on the allega- Role of the CBI has been under the
tions against Asthana, against whom the scanner in some cases: be it 1984 Anti-Sikh
agency had filed a corruption case last week riots, or the Nithari killings or Bofors case
There has on a complaint from Hyderabad-based or Shibu Soren case or the corruption cases
against Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav,
businessman Sana Satish Babu. Asthana, a
always been an Gujarat cadre police officer, was brought to Lalu Yadav and Rabri Devi. Some experts
ever-increasing the CBI by the Central government in 2016 have opined that the CBI has allowed itself
and had been commonly perceived to have
to become a political tool seeking allies for
demand for been positioned to head the CBI. the ruling dispensation combination and
investigation From glory to decline punishing those who threaten to debunk
the ruling dispensation. In his recent tweet,
of complicated The acts of commission and omission have Congress president Rahul Gandhi has called
the CBI “an institution in terminal decline.”
won the CBI bouquets from some and
cases to be brickbats from others. There has existed
handed over some sort of a love-hate relationship with Political interference
this organisation. Undoubtedly, the CBI
Frequent political interference into its
to the CBI has often been subjected to criticism for its functioning and its political misuse by the

tehelka / 15 november 2018 34 www.tehelka.com

34-35 Column Anil Singh.indd 2 02/11/18 11:26 AM