The Central Bureau of Investigation has been in the limelight in the wake of the Supreme Court’s criticism of the government for influencing the CBI
report in the coal blocks allocation scam. Many allege that it is being used by those in power for the wrong purpose. It has however done many laudable jobs. The problem exists in the slow process of the cases handled by the CBI. Inspite of the allegations one should understand that when any group wants a fair probe there is a demand for CBI probe. The issues are multifacated. We want the CBI to be fully autonomous and strengthened so that it can perform well and dispense justice. The police work in the whole country has suffered a lot and we need a strong body to investigate to high profile and sensitive cases which will work independently. Any organisation can not exist on its own and it has to be linked with the government in some way or the other. It also can not act as a loose weapon . it has also to be controlled and properly managed. It has to be answerable and accountable. It is heartening that the government has acted fast Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has formed a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram to decide the plan of action to insulate the investigating agency from external influence.Besides Chidambaram, the GoM has External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, newly-appointed Law Minister Kapil Sibal, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari and Minister of State for Personnel V. Narayanasamy as members.According to reports, the GoM will deliberate on ways to further strengthen CBI’s autonomy and safeguard it from any kind of outside interferences.The government’s move came after the Supreme Court had called the CBI “a caged parrot” that “speaks in its master’s voice” after the investigating agency admitted in an affidavit that Ashwani Kumar, who quit as the Law Minister on Friday, and senior officials of the Prime Minister’s Office and the coal ministry had made certain changes in the report on the allocation of coal blocks.The apex court, which reserved its harshest words for the CBI, calling it a “caged parrot with many masters”, stressed the need for the CBI to operate independently of the political establishment.”You are not a constable or head constable. You are a premier investigating agency and must learn to work under pressure. It (probe) is not a collaborative exercise between the CBI and ministry officials … It is a sordid saga of many masters and one parrot,” it said. The government should not have waited for the reprimand from the Apex Court.
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