New Delhi: Chief Justice of India NV Ramana today declared that the Central Bureau of Investigation, via their actions is suffering from โquestions on its credibility.โ Addressing a function of the Central Agency, he giving a suggestion said that the need of the hour is to โreclaim social legitimacy and public trustโ and the first step to that โis to break nexus with political and executive.โ
โThere is a need to have an umbrella autonomous institution to bring agencies like CBI etc under one roof. It is imperative for the organization to be headed by an autonomous person,โ he added.
Giving a lecture on โDemocracy: Role and Responsibilities of Investigative Agenciesโ, CJI Ramana, commemorating that how the police system in the nation was evolved from the British Period said with the passage of time, the CBI has โcome under deep public scrutinyโ.
โThe image of police is tarnished by allegations of corruption etcโฆ often police officers approach us saying they are being harassed with change in powerโฆ The political executives will change with time. You are permanent,โ Chief Justice Ramana said.
Further CJI also admitted that, unlike police, investigative agencies are suffering from not having Constitutional Backing.
โThe police system gets its legitimacy from Constitution. Unfortunately, investigation agencies still donโt have the benefit of being guided by a law,โ he said.
Listing other challenges being faced by the investigative agencies, he said, โThey have a lack of infrastructure, manpower, modern equipment, questionable means of procuring evidence, change in priorities with change in political executive and repeated transfer of officers.โ
He said that these difficulties frequently result in guilty people being acquitted and innocent people being imprisoned. Courts are unable to keep track of every action.
Citing that any institution is as good or bad as its leadership, he said change can be brought by only a few officers.
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