Poonam I Kaushish
What is it about the Central Bureau of Investigation that has it always in the eye of the storm? A talented Hindi film actor Sushant Singh Rajput is found hanging at his residence June 14 in Mumbai. A shocked nation eulogies him, followed by angry accusations of murder. Murmurs surface of Shiv Sena minister and Thackeray scion Aditya attending a party at Rajput’s house on the night of June 13.
Sushant’s father files an FIR in Patna against his son’s girlfriend Rhea Chakrovarty and five others for abetment of suicide. Mumbai quarantines the Patna police. The Enforcement Directorate registers a money laundering case against Rhea and her family. Bihar recommends CBI inquiry which the Centre accepts. Maharashtra vetoes this as its concurrence for such a probe was mandatory. The Supreme Court orders CBI to go ahead.
The BJP sees this as an opportunity to embarrass the Shiv Sena government, especially against the backdrop of Aditya being present at Rajput’s house. Any wonder why our politicians always hoot for a CBI investigation. Certainly, those in government use it as its handmaiden to dance to its tune.
Allegations abound how the agency has and is being used to intimidate and cow down political opponents. Be it during the Congress era or the Modi Sarkar. From political partisanship, raids on susceptible opponents, often with a little help of ‘partners’ Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department, filing of FIRs to hours of questioning. It’s inconsequential that in the end the CBI might not find any malfeasance. If you fall in line, the pressure is eased. If you don’t, the pressure is gassed up.
There are examples galore. Two classic cases are Samajwadi’s Mulayam Singh and BSP’s Mayawati. Whenever the government wanted to put pressure on them, the CBI was used to pursue the cases of disproportionate assets against them. When they came around, the cases were but in a thanda baksa..
Take the cases of ex-Union Finance Minister Chidambaram and RJD chief Lalu Yadav. Both accuse the BJP of political vendetta. Take Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa chargesheeted by CBI for donations made to his trust by miners who obtained contracts. The court let him off, but the CBI under Modi Raj didn’t appeal against the order. There are as many as 1,300 cases pending against MPs and MLAs in various courts. These include cases being on-off investigated by CBI. Consequently, the system has become self-perpetuating whereby threatened political elite give more and more powers to the CBI to get their way and have their say.
Is the CBI more sinned against than sinning? Is the pot calling the kettle black? Both work in tandem in furthering their own interests. The recent open war between ex-CBI Director Alok Verma and his Special Director Rakesh Asthana with shadowy political mai-baaps in the background underscores an open secret: the protectors and upholders of law have become so compromised and the system so rotten that nobody believes in it anymore. Worse, nobody cares a damn.
Unsurprisingly, investigation suffers as a report of 2016 shows. The conviction rate is as low as 12 per cent in 264 corruption cases CBI analysed over five years. Of the 698 accused, 486 were Central and state officials, while 212 were private persons. While it took more than 13 months to conclude investigations, only eight out of 698 persons who were initially called for questioning in corruption cases were convicted! It reflects the larger dishonesty plaguing the institution wherein over 26 officers are facing corruption charges.
Over the years, various governments talk tall on giving the CBI autonomy and improving its functioning from LP Singh Committee in 1978, Parliament Estimates Committee of 1991-92 and even the Supreme Court has made attempts to provide the CBI the insulation it requires, but unfortunately all failed.
Bringing things to such a pass that instead of becoming more accountable, the CBI has been purposely protected from scrutiny. See how it was expressly taken out of the RTI Act’s ambit on grounds of national security.
Prime Minister Modi has oft spoken about ushering in transparency in governance. It’s time he walked his talk and made the CBI independent.
–INFA