CBI expresses unhappiness over some Lokpal-related issues

NEW DELHI: The CBI today wrote to the government expressing its unhappiness over various issues related to Lokpal saying many of the clauses would severely impair the functioning of the investigating agency.

In its letter to the Department of Personnel and Training, the CBI said the proposed move to make preliminary enquiry by Lokpal mandatory before giving cases to CBI will "severely impair" effectiveness of the agency in anti- corruption cases as it would lose the "surprise element" to carry out search operations, sources in the agency said.

According to the letter, the agency at present gathers information from various sources and plans and executes a search operation to collect documents and evidence but if the preliminary enquiry by Lokpal is made compulsory and if the suggestions would be implemented, the agency will lose the "surprise element" to carry out such operations.

The agency also cited lack of enthusiasm about the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Lokpal Bill that all complaints of corruption cases which are in the nature other than trap cases shall first be scrutinised by Lokpal by holding a PE.

A PE is conducted only when the available information or complaint about serious misconduct on the part of a public servant is not adequate to justify registration of a regular case.