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Wednesday, Mar 12, 2008
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Let CBI be an enforcement agency: panel

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary committee has recommended that the Central Bureau of Investigation be envisaged as an enforcement agency and given the mandate to ensure prevention of crimes, apart from investigation and prosecution.

The Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice recommended that a separate “anti-terrorism division” be created in the CBI.

It said vesting the agency with appropriate statutory backing to take suo motu cognisance of crimes would in no way affect the country’s federal structure.

“It is felt that a proactive and holistic approach is required to deal with threats thrown up by linkages between organised crimes and terrorists to the national security, and localised and piecemeal battles against such crimes cannot be a success,” the 26-member panel, headed by E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, observed in its 24th report presented to Parliament on Tuesday.

The CBI should be given powers to recruit officers at various levels to meet manpower shortage rather than depending on the UPSC. There should be less dependence on deputation from other forces.

Briefing reporters, Mr. Natchiappan said terror acts, trafficking in humans, smuggling and black marketing could be classified as federal crimes which could be taken up by the CBI directly.

As for terror attacks, the committee felt that before the case was handed over to the CBI, precious time elapsed. This resulted not only in loss of local evidence but also in the criminals finding ample time to escape. As a way out, the committee urged the government to amend the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 to take the CBI out of its purview or repeal it by introducing a “Central Bureau of Intelligence and Investigation Bill.”

Citing the example of the U.S., where States have their own Constitution and yet they subject themselves to the jurisdiction of the FBI, the committee said there was no reason why similar powers should not be granted to the CBI under a comprehensive legislation.

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