Plea to end UP government control over probe agencies

Amid the intensifying debate in the country on the autonomy of the CBI, a petition has been filed in Allahabad High Court seeking to end the control of the Uttar Pradesh government over investigating agencies like the CID and vigilance department.

Petitioners Nutan and Amitabh Thakur filed their public interest litigation (PIL) in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court Tuesday seeking independence of various probe agencies. These include the CID (criminal investigation department), the economic offences wing (EOW) and the anti-corruption organisation (ACO).

The petition said probes in criminal cases are done as per provisions of the criminal procedure code (CrPC) under which the responsibility and powers for criminal investigation lie with the investigating officer.

It is expected that he will present the facts directly to the court but, as per norms in the state, these agencies are under the state government, who take the final decision, it said.

"This current system is against criminal laws and it increases the possibility of external and unwarranted influence to a great extent," the petitioners told IANS.

The petition has extensively quoted the Supreme Court's recent statements in favour of making the Central Bureau of Investigation independent from external influence.