The government should release the caged parrot CBI

Madras High Court orders to give autonomy to Central Investigation Agency

Central govt to allow CBI to act like Election Commission according to constitutional rights, make separate law: Madras High Court

In 2013, the Supreme Court called the CBI a parrot in a cage

The CBI director appears or files an agency report: Madras High Court

If there is any government, parrots will stay in cages!

Chennai: The Madras High Court has issued an important order on the issue of CBI's independence. The High Court has said that the CBI is like a parrot in a cage and should be given the same freedom as the Election Commission and be allowed to function as an independent agency. The Madras High Court had suggested 12 points to improve the existing system.

And said that this order is very important for the release of the parrot CBI. It may be noted that during the hearing of the coal scam in 2013, the Supreme Court used the same term against the CBI and termed it a cage parrot. At the time, the BJP had alleged that the CBI was working under pressure from the Congress government.

Now, after all these years, the CBI has been accused of working under the control or pressure of the BJP government at the Center. And the whole matter has reached the Madras High Court. The High Court then issued the order using the term "imprisoned parrot" in the same cage. In West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee also accused the CBI of acting at the behest of the Center.

He said the conspiracy controlled by the CBI PM is the Bureau of Investigation. The court said the independence of the CBI would be restored only if it was allowed to function in accordance with its constitutional powers. The central government should make efforts to give more independence to the CBI and enact a separate law.

The Madras High Court has also ordered a major overhaul of the CBI. The court said that the decision on recruitment of persons with knowledge in cyber and forensic as well as financial audit should be taken within six weeks. Any pending cases till 31st December 2020 should be disposed of expeditiously. It has also directed the CBI director to be present to report the whole matter within six weeks.

A PIL was filed in the Madras High Court seeking CBI probe into the alleged chit fund scam. The High Court later took up the matter extensively and stressed the need for any shortage of staff in the CBI. Not only the government, the High Court has also asked the CBI director to make representations to the central government regarding any staff shortages in the agency.

Important points of the order issued by the Madras High Court

* We order the Government of India to enact legislation to give more independence to the CBI.

* Like the CAG and the Election Commission, the CBI should be given more independence.

* The budget for CBI should be allocated separately.

* The authority of the CBI Director should be the same as that of the Secretary to the Government, giving him the freedom to report directly to the PM rather than the DOPT.

* The administration should not have any control over the CBI.

* Order DOPT to fill the vacancy of CBI, remove barriers in infrastructure.

* The CBI should ask the government to increase its coverage and staff. The central government should also issue an order in this regard.