CBI director Joginder Singh yesterday said the CBI would complete its part of the the Bofors investigations by April-end. The rest depended on the Swiss authorities, he said.. He expressed pleasure at a record number of 52 cases being fully investigated by the Gujarat branch of the bureau, out of the 54 cases referred to it last year. This is against a backdrop 13 cases pending with it over the last 10 years, the director admitted while inaugurating the new premises of the bureau in Gandhinagar. He also took pride in convictions being brought in 68-70 per cent 202 cases referred to the CBI by the Supreme Court and the high courts in 1996. Big cases take time, he explained, owing to non-availability of witnesses or documents .
and the prohibition of third-degree methods in CBI investigations.
There was no constraint in government funds for the bureau. All its offices were computerised and officers of the rank of DIG and above had been given laptops and other gadgets ensuring ready access to data. The addition of 92 vehicles to the CBI fleet should go a long way towards 100 per cent mobility as its staff strength was not very large.
There were 211 vacancies in the CBI which for the time being were not being filled despite government sanctions for the same as competent candidates were not forthcoming, the director added.
