CBI as the cats paw Who is central to the functioning of the CBI -- the skillful sleuth or the ubiquitous politician? It would be a generalisation to say that the premier national agency is run by the political powers of the day and it always steers the course of investigations to the politicians liking. The agency has a proven track record of successfully cracking difficult cases since its inception in 1946, often by doggedly insulating itself against myriad bureaucratic and business pressures.
Snarling them in the legal loop For a government skating on thin ice and often making and unmaking friends depending on political exigencies, a powerful organisation like the CBI has many uses. As long as Mulayam Singh Yadav and Amar Singh were opposing the UPA government, they were under the CBI scanner. So was Mayawati as she continued to blow hot and cold.
Why not a federal crime bureau ? In 1982, Martin and Romano described terrorism, drugs trafficking, arms trafficking and money laundering as multinational systemic crimes, which needed to be dealt with on a cooperative basis by nations. This was much before dramatic changes came about in world economy, society and politics from 1990 onwards.
Catching the corrupt last priority of govt Believe it or not. Strictly in legal parlance, the CBI does not exist! The Central Bureau of Investigation, the Central governments premier investigating agency was given this name by an executive order on April 1,1963. Legally, however, it is the Delhi Special Police Establishment, which was originally founded in 1941.
For a government skating on thin ice and often making and unmaking friends depending on political exigencies, a powerful
organisation like the CBI has many uses.
