Black money: CBI wants officers posted in some Indian missions

Heads of all intelligence agencies and financial probe bodies were nominated as members of SIT on black money

CBI has sought posting of its officers in some of the Indian missions abroad besides cutting down of red-tape involved in sending Letters Rogatory(LR) as measures to expedite cases related to black money.

"We have submitted a note to the Special Investigation Team in which we have elaborated about the measures that are required from the point of view of the probe agency," CBI Director Ranjit Sinha told PTI before leaving for Monaco.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Justice (retd) M B Shah with Justice (retd) Arijit Pasayat as its Vice Chairman was constituted by the Government in May this year on the orders of Supreme Court for investigation, initiation of proceedings and prosecution in cases involving unaccounted money.

Heads of all intelligence agencies and financial probe bodies were nominated as its members and shall have jurisdiction in the cases where investigations have already commenced or are pending or awaiting to be initiated or have been completed.

The SIT was also asked to prepare a comprehensive action plan including creation of necessary institutional structure that could enable the country to fight the battle against unaccounted money.

In view of the action plan, the SIT had asked various probe agencies to submit their views on expediting cases where allegations of black money having been stashed abroad was made.

"The CBI sought that first and foremost the red-tape involved in the sending of Letters Rogatory (request for seeing assistance in a probe from a foreign government) should be cut down. It takes several weeks before such a request is actually sent," Sinha said.

The CBI Director also favoured appointment of CBI officers in Indian missions in countries like Switzerland, France, Germany, the UK, the US and the UAE.