 "Ranjit Sinha")
Various surveys might be pointing to a Modi wave across the country, but at his sprawling 11th floor office here, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Ranjit Sinha says the coming elections don't have a bearing on the agency's functioning. The bureaucracy, however, might be in limbo and looking out for the next government, he adds.
The CBI probe against Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam leaders Dayanidhi Maran (Maxis case) and A Raja (2G telecom spectrum scam) isn't seeing much progressing, it is learnt.
On whether these cases have slowed, Sinha says, "Investigations are on…foreign countries cannot act according to our diktat; we have yet to get replies to letters rogatory." In the Maran case, CBI has sought information from Malaysia, while for the 2G money trail, the agency is corresponding with Mauritius and Switzerland.
International cooperation aside, the CBI chief says the lack of police reforms has had an adverse impact on the overall functioning of India's investigative agencies. "State police is losing credibility. Bodies such as the CID (Crime Investigation Department) have become almost defunct. The CBI ends up handling cases related to dacoity and robbery, which, ideally, it shouldn't," he says. And, while the "complexion of the next government" might indicate the degree of police reforms it will introduce, the CBI is happy with the fact that the Supreme Court has given it more powers and autonomy.
As for now, the agency has its hands full. It is working to complete the probe into the coal block allocation scam by the end of April. The matter includes cases against industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, former coal secretary P C Parakh and Naveen Jindal, member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha. The agency might not file a closure report; also, there might not be charge sheets in all the cases, owing to insufficient evidence. On March 28, the CBI will submit a status report on the matter to the Supreme Court.
Sources say the agency is surprised at the noise its plan to probe former Securities and Exchange Board of India chief C B Bhave's role in the recognition to MCX-SX has drawn from politicians and bureaucrats. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, too, had said the CBI doesn't have all the facts in the matter. The preliminary inquiry into the matter is meant to ascertain facts, say officials.
"We register so many inquiries…many of these aren't converted to registered complaints. We will see if we find some evidence against him and act accordingly," Sinha says.
The CBI has also come under attack for charges of criminal intent against policy decisions.
Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had criticised the agency for interfering in policy matters. The matter pertained to a First Information Report against Parakh and Birla for allocation of a coal block to Hindalco. The investigative agency feels "it has been called corrupt when it has not gone after politicians, and told to be more accountable when it has accused bureaucrats".
On whether CBI officers should be allowed to hold government offices after retirement, Sinha says uniform rules should be applied to police and administrative officers.
