The UPA Government on Tuesday constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to formulate a new law to make the CBI autonomous and independent.
“It is a welcome step and one has lot of expectations. The GoM must consider all suggestions arising out of Parliament panel reports and Supreme Court judgments in the past for strengthening the CBI,” said Vijay Shankar, who headed the agency between 2005 and 2008.
Sources said the GoM, tasked with drafting a new law, may also look into the suggestions forwarded to the Union Cabinet by the Select Committee on Lokpal, which had compiled observations of Members of Parliament, eminent jurists and former CBI Director A P Singh to free the CBI from the clutches of the government. Ranjit Sinha’s predecessor AP Singh, who wanted autonomy for the agency to ensure fair probe, had requested the committee on July 13, 2012, to consider means for strengthening the agency and institutionalising its autonomy, both financial and administration.
“Although suggestions like bifurcating investigation from prosecution were accepted, The GoM may consider these suggestions to make the CBI truly independent,” sources said.