CBI to be out of Lok Pal purview

Not yielding to Anna Hazare's demand, government is understood to have decided to keep CBI out of the purview of the proposed Lok Pal.

 This is the view that has emerged out of the discussions senior ministers, who are lawyers in their own right, had among themselves and had reportedly recommended to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

 The draft Cabinet note, to which officials of the Personnel and Legislative Department had given final touches last night, was sent to the prime minister who has cleared it for the special Cabinet meeting tonight.

 Home Minister P Chidambaram, Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal discussed the amendments to the Lok Pal yesterday and finalised the changes. Minister of State for Personnel V Narayansamy was also part of these discussions.

 Sources said that the Lok Pal would have no no control over the CBI, a demand strongly pursued by Hazare and his team during the last several months.

 The sources also said there would be no no separate Directorate of Prosecution of the CBI under the Lok Pal.