Give real autonomy to CBI

The midnight coup by the Centre in sending the top two officials of CBI on leave at a time when probe of certain high-level cases is going on to ensure a fair and impartial probe in corruption cases has led to opposition raise a hue and cry over the move by the centre to hush up Rafael deal probe. Given the position that CBI has to probe governmental corruption at various levels, the infighting between the top two officials petering down with the result the agency becoming a laughing stock of the nation left the centre in a quandary.

In this context, the decision taken by the centre to control the damage already caused by the two directors us to sit them out is fair and justified though unprecedented. Notwithstanding the fact that the manner in which the government controlled CBI administration has been functioning so far prompted the Supreme Court to call it "a caged parrot" proved to be correct after the premier investigation agency faces the worst crisis in its history, the finance minister Arun Jaitley in defence putting up that it only acted on the advice of CVC which has superintendence over the CBI in cases of corruption may not cut much ice with the opposition after several leaders raised eyebrows over CBI's autonomy and the abrupt action on the two officials.

Now that the feud between the top two men coming into the open, the agency stands discredited exposing its loopholes. Further its failure in 2G cases, inability to do anything concrete in Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, Choksi cases besides not able to bring to a logical conclusion of several bank fraud and money laundering cases also points to its mediocrity in dealing such cases. It is time Prime Minister intervenes and clear the air even as questions are been raised that it is the government that has driven the two directors to wash dirty linen in public in an attempt to shield the corrupt from getting exposed.

All in all, as the track record of CBI is not up to the mark due to inept handling and shoddy investigation of many high-profile cases due to which the accused gets acquitted for want of concrete evidence, it is shameful that probe agency officials sticking on to Himalayan ego have not learnt any lessons so far. The government in the name of rejuvenating the agency has also badly let down by adding fuel to the fire. As one of the directors moved the court for remedy, the need of the hour is to bring a comprehensive law exclusively for CBI to improve autonomy so that it functions independently without outside interference and not blame-game to score browny points.