Eminent citizens want CVC to monitor CBI's high-profile probes

Eminent personalities, including former BSF director-general Prakash Singh, on Monday urged Chief Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar to ensure that the CBI investigates cases against high profile politicians in a transparent and fair manner.

A delegation of the India Rejuvenation Initiative (IRI) met Kumar and pleaded that the CVC should use its superintendence power over the CBI in probes against high profile politicians.

Besides Singh, others who were part of the delegation were former CAG V K Shunglu, former Air Chief Marshal S Krishnaswamy and retired IAS officer Raju Sharma. The meeting came on the heels of the CBI decision to close the disproportionate assets case against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

“Our meeting was not against anybody. We are concerned about half-a-dozen high profile cases. We voiced our concern and requested him to ensure that the probe is done properly and transparently so that people are not let off. We do not want anybody hanged but what we are asking is that justice should be done,” Singh told Deccan Herald.

The IRI had last month shot off a letter to CBI chief Ranjit Sinha saying they were “dismayed” with the functioning of the agency “in quite a few cases” in which the agency has “played it cool to the extent of dragging its feet”.

It listed the cases involving Mulayam, BSP chief Mayawati and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha, besides rail-gate and Gujarat fake encounters.

“There have been cases where the organisation has been over enthusiastic. The unmistakable impression one gets is that the CBI interest in a particular case is directly proportional to the ruling party’s interest in the matter. If the government wants a case to remain in cold storage, the CBI ensures that. Conversely, if the government wants a case to be accelerated, the CBI obliges accordingly. This is a very disturbing state of affairs,” the letter had said.

Refuting the charges, CBI replied to Singh: “A person as knowledgeable and battle hardened as you have chosen to cast aspersions on the functioning of the CBI without taking pains to ascertain the facts from CBI where a large number of officers are known to you."

It said the agency is doing whatever is required under the law. "CBI is fully aware of its Constitutional and legal obligations," it said.