JOIN USAway from the high decibel drama over the resignation of ministers, CBI Director Ranjit Sinha on Friday met Minister of State for Personne l V arayanaswamy to discuss the modalities of making the premier investigating agency independent following the Supreme Court’s indictment in the coalgate scam.
The reluctant UPA government, which was not keen to entirely insulate the CBI from political influence even at the time of putting together Lokpal bill, was forced to move after the apex court gave time till July 10 to the government to suggest ways to make the agency professional and away from the government reach.
The government has also formed a group of ministers (GoM) under the chairmanship of Finance Minister P Chidambaram to come up with a blue print which will be presented before the apex court on the independence of the CBI. The other members of the group are Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal and MoS (Personnel) Narayanswamy.
Narayanswamy confirmed to the journalists that “the meeting was held to discuss administrative matters related to the CBI after the recent Supreme Court’s observations”.
Top CBI sources also said that other than discussing what the SC wanted, Sinha discussed other administrative matters which he did not share.
Though the meeting between the CBI director and MoS Personnel would be termed as routine given the fact that it is the nodal ministry, it is raising eyebrows after the SC observation that the CBI is a caged parrot and the coalgate report should not be shared with anyone outside the investigating agency.
It is learnt that the agency had prepared a draft on its autonomy when a Parliament select committee was discussing Lokpal bill last year.