CBI unhappy with GoM recommendation on accountability panel of three judges

NEW DELHI: CBI is skeptical about getting functional autonomy anytime soon, with a top CBI official saying on July 4 that the GoM recommendations to amend the Delhi Police Special Establishment ( DPSE) Act could get stuck in Parliament due to political differences.

“BJP has already made its objections to the GoM recommendations public, saying their suggestions on CBI autonomy to the Select Committee on Lokpal should be considered. It will be a difficult ride for the government in Parliament to push the amendments through like the Lokpal Bill as political parties seem unconvinced with the GoM recommendations,” the top CBI official said, hoping that certain recommendations like increasing the financial powers of the CBI director can be effected through the executive by the framing of rules.

CBI is, meanwhile, unhappy with the GoM recommendation to set up an ‘accountability commission’ of three judges, appointed by the government to inquire into allegations of misbehaviour, impropriety, or irregularity on the part of CBI officers by entertaining complaints from the public, or on reference from the Centre. “The SC observations in the coal case said CBI had become a caged parrot speaking in the voice of many masters. The accountability commission, we fear, may end up just being another master of CBI,” an agency official said.

CBI had demanded scrapping of Section 6A in DPSE under which prior sanction is needed to start probe against a joint secretary and above-level officer. However, GoM did not accept the demand saying the same had been rejected by most political parties at the time of the drafting of the Lokpal Bill. CBI’s demand for considering ‘deemed sanction’ in case of a prosecution sanction being pending for over three months was also rejected.