Government has given more powers to CBI: Narayanasamy

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) V. Narayanasamy on Friday said the government has given more powers to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following the Supreme Court's observation that there was a need to give greater investigational autonomy to the agency.

"Supreme Court's observation to give investigational autonomy to CBI has been agreed by GoM. Government has given more powers to the CBI," Narayanasamy told media here.

"We have prepared an affidavit which will be submitted before the Supreme Court, and thereafter, in Parliament," he added.

The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared suggestions by the GoM to bring autonomy in the working of CBI which includes constitution of a panel of retired judges to oversee the investigations undertaken by the agency besides increased financial powers of its director.

The GoM chaired by Finance Minister P Chidambaram and comprising of Law and Justice Minister Kapil Sibal, Home Minister Sushi Kumar Shinde, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy had concluded its deliberations on Monday.

The government's move came after the Supreme Court had called the CBI "a caged parrot" that "speaks in its master's voice after the investigating agency admitted in an affidavit that Ashwani Kumar, who quit as the Law Minister, and senior officials of the Prime Minister's Office and the coal ministry had made certain changes in the report on the allocation of coal blocks.

The apex court, which reserved its harshest words for the CBI, calling it a "caged parrot with many masters", stressed the need for the CBI to operate independently of the political establishment.

"You are not a constable or head constable. You are a premier investigating agency and must learn to work under pressure. It (probe) is not a collaborative exercise between the CBI and ministry officials ... It is a sordid saga of many masters and one parrot," it said.