From 'caged parrot' to flying condor

CBI, shamed by the supreme court, is giving up meekly repeating what its political masters say. It is now trying to be a bird of prey, swooping down on officials and politicians playing dirty

brajesh

Brajesh Kumar | June 8, 2013



The ‘caged parrot’ has suddenly acquired the claws of a crouching tiger, the central bureau of investigation, that is. And all it took for the investigating agency to discover it had a spine was harsh words from the supreme court.

The swift action on railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and his nephew in the cash for post scandal is a case in point.

In continuing with its newly discovered enthusiasm to resurrect its image, it has asked the supreme court to direct the government not to interfere in its attempt to question senior officers in corruption cases.

According to a report in The Hindu on Friday, CBI has sought a specific remedy from the court, suggesting that ministers who deny the agency permission to question senior government officials be obliged to provide reasons for doing so. Under current rules, a minister can tell the CBI to back off without offering any explanation.  

The affidavit was made in connection with the ongoing investigation into the allocation of coal blocks.

The Hindu report says the CBI, in its affidavit, has submitted that the present system of seeking approval to question government officials was highly discriminatory. For questioning officers of the level of joint secretary and above, it is mandatory to seek the approval of line ministers, which is often refused without providing any reason.

The trigger for the affidavit seems to be its inability to question former coal secretary, HC Gupta, currently a member of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) due to the refusal of the ministry of corporate affairs-- the nodal ministry for CCI—to proceed.

Be that as it may, if the court does accept CBI’s recommendations, it will go a long way in deterring senior bureaucrats who are vulnerable to either strong arm tactic from ministers or pecuniary considerations.
 

Comments

 

Other News

Gandhian movement after Gandhi failed: Ram Guha

The Gandhian movement in India, after Gandhi’s death, failed, says Ramachandra Guha, and blames Vinoba Bhave for it. But the movement found new, fertile grounds around the world and succeeded in bringing about a change in South Africa, the US and elsewhere. It is high time it returned home. Of cour

When religion, politics and Bollywood come together

Tavleen Singh, noted journalist and political commentator, has turned to fiction, with her debut novel ‘The Actor’ (HaperCollins India). Set in the near future, it has a superstar, Amit Singh, turning to politics, when the political landscape is dominated by prime minister Guru Gaynendraj

Cabinet approves setting up of Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority

The union cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), called Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), to strengthen research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment within the broad domains of Transp

Why foundational literacy and numeracy is key to school education

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) are often described as the building blocks of education. Yet, their significance goes well beyond a child’s ability to read a sentence, write a response or solve a basic mathematical problem. These foundational skills shape how children understand the world,

When police data becomes the algorithm

For decades, policing has followed a familiar sequence: a crime occurs, the police respond, an investigation produces records and those records become part of the institutional memory of the criminal justice system. Artificial intelligence is beginning to alter that sequence. Instead of merely recording

Before India voted, the framers worried about the referee

“We are making a Constitution forever and not only for today.” Shibban Lal Saksena said this in the Constituent Assembly on June 15, 1949. He was warning that a ruling party might one day choose a loyalist to run India’s elections. Seventy-seven years later, the Supreme Court is wrestli

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter