CBI - POLITY
News: CBI
defers Manish Sisodia’s questioning in Delhi excise case
What's in the news?
● After
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia sought time to appear for
questioning in the Delhi Excise policy case, the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) officials said he will not join the investigation.
CBI:
● CBI
is the foremost investigative police agency in India.
● It
is a non-constitutional and
non-statutory body.
● It
derives power to investigate from the Delhi
Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
● It
was established in 1941 as the Special Police Establishment and was renamed to
present nomenclature of CBI in 1963.
● Headquarters:
New Delhi.
● Motto:
Industry, Impartiality, Integrity.
Organization structure:
● It
is headed by Director, an IPS officer of DGP rank.
● The
CBI Director is selected by a committee
comprising Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and Leader of Opposition or
leader of the largest party in opposition in Lok Sabha.
● The
tenure of CBI director has been extended from two years to five years now.
The change in tenure of the CBI Director was done by amending the Delhi
Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. However, no extension can be granted to
the CBI chief after a period of five years.
Vision:
● Combating corruption in
public life.
● Curbing economic and
violent crimes through meticulous investigation and
prosecution.
● Contribute
to the battle against cyber and
high-tech crime by developing effective methods and procedures for
successful investigation and prosecution of cases in various law courts.
● Assist state police
organizations and law enforcement agencies with
national and international collaboration, notably in the areas of
investigations and case investigation.
● Take
the lead in the fight against domestic
and international organized crime.
● Protect human rights,
the environment, the arts, antiques, and our civilization's heritage.
● Develop
a scientific temperament, humanism, and an inquiry and reform mentality.
● Strive
for quality and professionalism in all aspects of the organization's operations
so that it can reach new heights of ambition and achievement.
Powers:
● CBI
investigates cases related to economic crimes, special crimes, cases of
corruption and other high-profile cases.
● CBI
comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry
of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
● CBI
is exempted from Right to Information (RTI) Act similar to the National Investigating
Agency (NIA), National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid), etc.
Concerns:
● Exemption from RTI Act -
issues of transparency and accountability.
● Consent required from the
State Government in investigation of cases - affects
their functioning.
● Political interference
- complaints from opposition parties such as the government misusing powers of
CBI to curb their voice.
● Low conviction rate
and delayed investigation in many cases.
● Requirement
of prior clearance from the Central Government to conduct inquiries or
investigations of Central Government employees at the level of Joint Secretary
and above causing hurdles in their effective functioning.
To
ensure that the CBI is a strong,
independent, and credible investigation agency, a much more transparent
framework to oversee the CBI's appointment and operations is urgently needed.