NEW DELHI: Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Tuesday slammed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), saying that the federal agency had not done enough while probing several high-profile cases.
“In a number of high-profile and politically sensitive cases, the agency has not been able to meet the standards of judicial scrutiny.
Equally true, it is that such lapses may not have happened infrequently. Such instances reflect systemic issues and indicate a deep mismatch between institutional aspirations, organisational design, working culture, and governing politics,” CJI Gogoi said while delivering the 18th DP Kohli Memorial lecture in the national capital.
Calling for more administrative autonomy for the probe agency, Gogoi said that the CBI should be given statutory status through legislation equivalent to that provided to the Comptroller & Auditor General. “The legal mandate of the CBI must be strengthened by having comprehensive legislation that addresses deficiencies relating to organisational structure, charter of functions, limits of power, superintendence, and oversight.”
CJI Gogoi also urged the investigating agency to tap talent from top educational institutions to fill the vacancies in its ranks. “Effectiveness in discharging functions could further be enhanced by engaging with educational centres of excellence to attract young talented individuals trained in various disciplines including information technology, forensic science, etc, within its fold.”
The CBI has, for the most part, enjoyed the trust of the citizens but, unfortunately, attention is more often than not drawn to failure than the success of any public institution, he said.