Cabinet clears GoM recommendations on CBI autonomy

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared suggestions by the Group of Ministers to bring autonomy in the working of CBI which include constitution of a panel of retired judges to oversee the investigations by agency besides increased financial powers of its Director.

Sources said the GoM, chaired by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, has recommended constitution of a panel of retired judges which would monitor the investigations undertaken by the agency to ensure that probes remain free from any external influence.

It has also recommended increase in financial powers of the CBI Director and a new mechanism for the appointment of the Director (Prosecution) which is at present a Law Ministry appointee.

The recommendations will now be part of the affidavit to be filed before the Supreme Court early next week which would hear the matter on July 10. The government is also likely to tell the apex court about the pending Lokpal Bill which is under consideration of the Rajy Sabha. The Select Committee of the Rajya Sabha has recommended that the CBI Director should be selected through a collegium of the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition of Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India. The Group of Ministers, also comprising Law Minister Kapil Sibal, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy, had concluded its deliberations on Monday.

The government's move to constitute the GoM came after scathing observations of the Supreme Court on the functioning of CBI while hearing the coal block allocation scam case. The apex court had indicted CBI for being a “caged parrot” of its political masters while hearing a case related to irregularities in coal blocks allocation and directed it to make an effort to come out with a law to insulate CBI from external influence and intrusion.