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An Impossible Dream?
The politicisation of the Central Bureau of Investigation as reflected in the investigation of several high profile cases has eroded its image in the public eye. A number of measures suggested in this article can help preserve its autonomy.
The unprecedented directive of the Supreme Court on 20 November 2014 asking the then Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Ranjit Sinha to recuse himself from and not “interfere” in the 2G spectrum probe irreparably damaged the credibility of the country’s premier investigative agency. It breathed fresh life into accusations of critics that the “CBI is a graveyard of corruption; it is waiting to be exhumed” (Times Now 2014). In the last six years, India has witnessed a number of high profile corruption scams. The events following the investigation of the two alpha scams—the 2G Spectrum and Coalgate—had forced policymakers to reconsider the demand to reform and restructure the CBI by insulating it from undue political interference and giving it more autonomy.
Caged Parrot
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