Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI)
- The Central Bureau of Investigation is India’s premier investigation agency, reporting to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Administration, and Pensions and the government of India. In 1965, the CBI received vast jurisdiction to probe if anyone breaches the laws which are enforceable by the government, multi-agency or international cases. This agency is also known for probing several special crimes, economic crimes, and other cases. And the CBI is India’s governmentally directed single representative for communication with Interpol.
History
1. Special Police Establishment:-
In 1941, a central government police force was established with the special police establishment to investigate bribery and corruption in transactions with the war and supply department of India. On April 1st, 1963, the special police establishment was given its current popular name, the Central Bureau of Investigation.
2. CBI Takes Shape:-
The CBI established a reputation as India’s foremost investigative agency with a bundle of complicated cases, and it was requested to help with the inquiry of crimes similar to murder, hijacking, and terrorism. The Supreme Court and a number of high courts in the country also began assigning similar cases to the CBI on the basis of desires filed by unsatisfied parties.
Organization
- The CBI is headed by a Director, an IPS officer with the rank of Director General of Police. The director is named by a high-profile commission constituted under The Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946 as amended through The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013, and has a two-year term (which can be extended for another three years). Special Director, Fresh Director, Joint Director, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Senior Supervisor of Police, Supervisor of Police, Fresh Supervisor of Police, and Deputy Superintendent of Police are other species in the CBI that may be staffed by IRS (Indian Revenue Service) officers and IPS. Sub-Inspector, Assistant Sub-Inspector, and Constable are signed through SSC or through an appointment with the Police, Income Tax Department, and Customs Department.
List Of All The Directors Of CBI
Former Directors:-
Late Sh. D.P.Kohli
01/04/63 – 31/05/68
Sh. F V Arul
31/05/68 – 06/05/71
Sh D. Sen
06/05/71 – 29/03/77
Sh. S N Mathur
29/03/77 – 02/05/77
Late Sh. C V Narsimhan
02/05/77 – 25/11/77
Sh. John Lobo
25/11/77 – 30/06/79
Shri R D Singh
30/06/79 – 24/01/80
Shri J S Bawa
24/01/80 – 28/02/85
Late Shri M G Katre
28/02/85 – 31/10/89
Dr. A P Mukherjee
31/10/89 – 11/01/90
Shri R Sekhar
11/01/90 – 14/12/90
Shri Vijay Karan
14/12/90 – 01/06/92
Late Shri S K Datta
01/06/92 – 31/07/93
Shri K Vijaya Rama Rao
31/07/93 – 31/07/96
Shri Joginder Singh
31/07/96 – 30/06/97
Shri R C Sharma
30/06/97 – 31/01/98
Shri D R Karthikeyan
31/01/98 – 31/03/98
Dr. T N Mishra
31/03/98 – 04/01/99
Dr. R.K. Raghavan
04/01/99 – 30/04/01
Shri PC Sharma
30/04/01 – 06/12/03
Shri U S Misra
06/12/03 – 06/12/05
Shri Vijay Shanker
12/12/05 – 31/07/08
Shri Ashwani Kumar
02/08/08 – 30/11/10
Shri A P Singh
30/11/10-30/11/12
Shri Ranjit Sinha
03/12/2012 – 02/12/2014
Shri Anil Kumar Sinha
03/12/2014 – 02/12/2016
Shri Rakesh Asthana
02/12/2016 – 01/02/2017
Shri Alok Kumar Verma
01/02/2017 – 23/10/2018,
09/01/2019 – 10/01/2019
Shri M Nageswara Rao
24/10/2018 – 09/01/2019
10/01/2019 – 04/02/2019
Shri Rishi Kumar Shukla
04/02/2019 – 03/02/2021
- The director is appointed by the Central Government on the recommendation of a commission that consists of CVC, in charge of MHA, alert officers and press secretariat, and more.
Functions Of CBI
- The CBI is the main probing agency of the GOI. It isn’t a statutory body; it derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
Its important part is to find corrupt people and maintain integrity in administration. It functions under the inspection of the CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) in matters pertaining to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Probing cases connected to violations of profitable and financial laws, i.e., breach of laws concerning customs and central excise, import and import control, income duty, foreign exchange regulations, etc. But cases of this nature are taken up by the CBI either at the request of the department concerned or in discussion with the concerned department.
- Inquiry serious crimes with public and transnational ramifications committed by professional perpetrators or organized gangs
- To coordinate the conditioning of the state police forces and anti-corruption agencies.
- At the order of a state government, the CBI can also take up any case of public significance and probe it. maintaining crime statistics and propagating evil information. The CBI is India’s deputy for communication with INTERPOL.
How Do I Get Into CBI?
- There are many ways of getting there, but the eligibility conditions are the same for all.
- You must need to graduate from an accredited university with a minimum grade point average of 50 percent in any discipline if you’re a 12th-grade pupil enthusiastic about becoming a CBI officer.
- Besides that, the minimum age limit is 20 years, and the maximum age limit is 27 years, with a 5-year concession for SC/STs and a 3-year relaxation for OBCs. You can explore the top courses to pursue after the 12th and pick the course that suits you, along with developing your interest and knowledge in the coming months.
- As we’ve formerly detailed, there are many routes to being a CBI agent. The first step is to qualify for the SSC-CGL Test. All the lower division reforms, from group B and group C to Sub Inspector in CBI, are done through SSC (Staff Selection Commission).
You won’t only need to concentrate on your intellectual interests to get a spot in the arena, but you’ll also need to meet the physical norms. Your physical and internal stamina, as well as your capacity to manage a variety of physically demanding conditions, will all be put to the test then.
- After successful completion of the first two phases, you’ll be confronted by a panel of CBI who’ll test your interest in formerly more to see if you’re the perfect candidate.
- There is another way too if you are not able to go through the previous process.
- Yes, you can get promoted to CBI Group A officer without having to stay in a big line. Still, that will be a tough thing to crack, which will require you to roundly explore your career limits.
- The UPSC Civil Services Examinations are the alternative way to become a CBI agent. You must pass this with a high acceptable score to be considered for the Indian Police Service (IPS).
There are three levels to the Civil Services examination. The prelims, mains, and particular interviews, to be specific.
The UPSC Prelims comprise of two objective-type tests with an aggregate of 400 marks (General Studies I and General Studies II or CSAT). In most cases, both papers are given in two sessions on the same day through offline mode (pen-paper).
The General Studies I test has 100 questions, whereas the CSAT test has 80 questions, and both examinations last two hours.
Following that, there will be the main test and a particular interview. You’ll have 8 papers to complete by then, and you’ll be suitable to elect the service you want to be prioritized for.
Problems Associated With CBI
This agency is dependent on the home ministry for staffing because numerous of its investigators come from the Indian Police Service. The CBI also relies on the ministry of law for attorneys and also doesn’t have functional autonomy to some extent.
The CBI, run by IPS officers on the appointment, is also vulnerable to the government’s capability to manipulate the senior officers because they’re dependent on the central government for unborn bulletins.
Since the police is a state subject under the Constitution, and the CBI acts as per the
Before it can establish its presence in a state, the CBI must first obtain the approval of the state government in question. This can lead to certain cases not being immersed and seeing a silent impasse. Lately, states like Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal withdrew their concurrence.
CBI which investigates cases of public significance has been condemned for its mishandling of several fudges owing to political pressure. It has also been denoting for lookup in the inquiry of prominent politicians, similar as Jayalalithaa, P.V. Narasimha Rao, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Mayawati; this tactic leads to their evidence or non-prosecution. Some of the examples in which CBI was misused are the Hawala disdain, Bofors disdain, 2G scale fraud, coal fraud, and so on.
Fiscal independence is vital for the functioning of any association.
Cases Handled By CBI
- Special Crimes—for inquiry of serious and systematized crimes under the Indian Penal Code and other laws on the requests of state governments or on the orders of the Supreme Court and High Courts—such as cases of terrorism, hijacking for rescue, and crimes committed by the intrigue/underworld.
For the investigation of major fiscal fudge and serious profitable frauds, such as crimes involving fake Indian currency notes, bank frauds, import, export, and foreign exchange violations, large-scale smuggling of aesthetics, relics, artistic property, and other smuggled particulars, etc.
Anti-Corruption Crimes—for the investigation of cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act against central government officers and employees, public sector undertakings, and bodies acquired or controlled by the government of India.
Only in the Union Territory can the CBI conduct investigations on its own. The Supreme Court and High Courts can still order the CBI to probe a crime anywhere in the country without the concurrence of the state.
Power Of CBI
The legal powers of investigation of the CBI are derived from the DSPE Act 1946, which confers powers, duties, boons, and arrears on the Delhi Special Police Establishment and officers of the Union Homes. The central government may extend to any area (except union homes) the powers and governance of the CBI for inquiry, subject to the concurrence of the government of the concerned state. Fellows of the CBI at or above the rank of sub-inspector may be recognized as officers in charge of police stations. Under this act, the CBI can probe only an announcement by the central government.
CBI is exempted from the requirements of the Right to Information Act. This impunity was granted by the government on June 9, 2011 (with similar immunity to the National Probing Agency (NIA), the Directorate General of Income Tax Investigation, and the National Intelligence Grid on the basis of public security. It was blamed by the Central Information Commission and RTI activists, who said the mask impunity violated the letter and intent of the RTI Act. The impunity was upheld in the Madras High Court.
Infrastructure
The CBI headquarters in New Delhi is a 186 crore (the US $25 million) 11-segment structure that houses all of the agency’s branches. The plaza structure is equipped with an ultramodern durability system, an advanced record-conservation system, storehouse space, computerized access control, and a fresh installation for new technology. Interrogation apartments, cells, dormitories, and conference halls are handed over. The structure has a staff cafeteria with a capacity of 500, a gymnasium, a sun deck theatre, and bi-level basement parking for 470 vehicles. Advanced fire-control and power-up backup systems are handed, in addition to a press briefing room and media lounge.
The Central Bureau of Investigation Vidyapeeth in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (east of Delhi), began in 1996. It’s about 40 kilometers from the New Delhi railway station and about 65 km from Indira Gandhi International Airport. The 26.5-acre plot, with fields and colonies, houses the executive, academic, hotel, and domestic structures. Before the academy was erected, a small training center at Lok Nayak Bhawan, New Delhi, conducted short-term in-service courses. The CBI also reckoned on state police-training institutions and the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad for introductory training courses for deputy directors of police, sub-inspectors, and bobbies.
Controversy
1. Bofors Scandal:-
In January 2006, it was discovered that the CBI had still frozen bank accounts belonging to Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, one of those indicted in the 1986 Bofors disdain which tainted the government of Rajiv Gandhi. The CBI was liable for the probe into the Bofors case. Associates of also-high minister Rajiv Gandhi were linked to contended nets made during the mid-1980s by the Swedish arms establishment Bofors, with US million in effects moved from Britain and Panama to secret Swiss banks. The 410 howitzers bought in the US mil arms trade were reported to be inferior to those offered by a French contender.
The CBI, which unfroze 21 crores (the US $2.8 million) in a London bank in accounts held by Bofors, indicted Quattrocchi and his wife Maria in 2006 but eased his trip by asking Interpol to take him off its wanted list on April 29, 2009. After dispatches from the CBI, Interpol withdrew the red corner notice on Quattrocchi.
2. Sister Abhaya:-
- This case concerns the March 27, 1992, death of a nun who was found in a water well in the Saint Pius X cloister hotel in Kottayam, Kerala. Five CBI examinations have failed to yield any suspects. The case was eventually answered in December 2020, when the main accused were transferred to life imprisonment by the Kerala High Court.
3. Sohrabuddin Case:-
- The CBI has been indicted for supporting the ruling Congress Party against its opposition, the BJP. The CBI is investigating the Sohrabuddin case in Gujarat; Geeta Johri, who is also investigating the case, claims that the CBI is forcing her to falsely implicate former Gujarat minister Amit Shah.
4. The Demise Of JNU Student Najeeb Ahmed:-
Najeeb Ahmed, a first-year PG disciple of M.Sc Biotechnology at JNU, went missing under suspicious circumstances on October 15, 2016, from his hotel in the university arena. Najeeb was believed to have been assaulted just a day before his dissipation. Najeeb’s mother and the JNU disciple union demanded an inquiry into the link between the assault and dissipation.
Multiple premier investigative agencies, including the Delhi Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Crime Branch, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), were involved in the case, but none were able to find any leads in his disappearance. All these agencies have been criticized by the Delhi High Court at different points for their inferior inquiry into the case.
In May 2019, the court asked the CBI whether Najeeb is alive or dead. The CBI responded that Najeeb was last seen with his friend and he had been kept sightless. His mama, Fatima, contradicted the statement and demanded a hail. Najeeb Ahmed is still missing, with a reward of 10 lakhs to anyone who gives any information about the whereabouts of Najeeb.
Top 13 Interesting Facts About CBI
The CBI Director himself cannot indeed transfer any officer above the rank of Inspector, which includes DSPs, ASPs, SPs, Lodgings, IGs, and Fresh Directors in the CBI.
CBI is under the executive control of DoPT and not MHA (skeleton controlling authority of IPS officers) despite the fact that there is not a single IAS officer in the entire organization.
CBI officers have no Vardi. They just dress casually.
There’s no reference to the CBI in the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (an Act on which the CBI functions); it’s just grounded on a resolution by the Home Ministry taken in 1963.
CBI isn’t an independent body because, according to the DSPE Act’s Section 4, it vests its superintendence of the establishment in the Central government.
Despite having a fixed term and an appointment commission comprising of the Prime Minister, head of adversary, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for CBI Director, shortlisted names for the post are decided by DOPT, i.e., eventually by the Government of India. So, if PM does not want Mr. W to become CBI Director, he will take only the names of named officers, such as Mr. X, Y, and Z, through DoPT. So, willing or unintentional, only X, Y, and Z are the options left with a commission for the post.
The CBI is exempted from the provisions of the right to information act.
Courts can order the CBI to investigate without the consent of the state.
It’s also the major police agency in India that coordinates inquiries on behalf of Interpol member countries.
The CBI Director is appointed, for not less than a term of 2 years, by the Appointment Committee on the recommendation of the Selection Committee.
The CBI Academy Installations for specialized courses are also made available to the officers of the state police, central police organizations (CPOs), public-sector alert organizations, banks, government departments, and the Indian Armed Forces.
CBI has not answered any case successfully but has had a minor impact in multiple high-profile cases, similar to the Bhanwari Devi murder case, Satyam reproach, Family Abhaya murder case, and INX Media case.
The UPA government has been indicted for allocating 2G diapason to pots at veritably low prices through loose and illegal means. The Supreme Court cited the CBI numerous times for its belatedness in the examinations only after the court began covering its examinations were high-profile apprehensions made.
Kajal Ambastha
Writer
13angle
