Coalgate: Kiran Bedi for making CBI strong independent probe body

CHANDIGARH: Former IPS officer and social activist Kiran Bedi today alleged the growing interference of the Union government in the functioning of the CBI had turned the premier investigating agency into a "caged parrot".

The Central government was also not enacting strong laws to enable the CBI function like an independent body, she told reporters here.

"The CBI has turned into a caged parrot owing to growing interference of the Centre in its functioning. The Centre is also not enacting tough laws to protect the agency from pulls and pressures," Bedi said.

She welcomed the apex court's recent observation on the coal allocation scam probe, dubbing the CBI as "a caged parrot speaking in master's voice".

"In the last three years, we have seen many corruption cases coming up. Now with the directions of Supreme Court, the government will have to bring a law to insulate the CBI from any external pressure," the social activist said.

The apex court had asked the Centre to come out with a law before July 10 to insulate CBI from external influence.

"Some CBI Directors were also responsible for weakening the probe agency as they had acted on the directions of the government for getting lucrative posts after retirement or out of fear," she said.