CBI should be liberated from political interference: SC

The apex court was referring to the CBI's act of sharing the status report on Coalgate with the government

In a damning indictment, the Supreme Court today said CBI's act of sharing the status report on Coalgate with the government has "shaken" the entire investigation process and vowed to "liberate" the agency from political influence and interference.

Notwithstanding some strong words, the Supreme Court's observations and directions in the coal blocks allocation scam came as a breather for the beleaguered government as the CBI Director has been given time till May 6 to file a fresh affidavit in the case. The matter will come up for hearing on May eight.

At the end of a two-hour hearing, the court sought a series of clarifications from CBI Director Ranjit Sinha "as to why in the status report dated March 8, 2013, no disclosure was made to the court that the draft report has been shared with the political executive".

It also wanted to how Additional Solicitor General Haren Raval had made an assertive statement on March 12 that the status report was not shared with anyone.

The bench headed by justice R M Lodha also asked why in the April 26 affidavit the CBI did not give details about changes made in the draft report and at whose instance besides Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and two senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry.

At the outset, the bench also comprising justices Madan B Lokur and Kurien Joseph said the CBI Director's affidavit has brought out a "very disturbing feature" and the "very foundation of the investigation process has been shaken".

"The first thing we have to do is to liberate CBI from extranesous considerations, political influence, intrusions and other interference," the bench said.

The court said that even after 15 years of Vineet Narain judgement to make CBI independent, the political clout still "frustrates" its impartiality.

"When this court had said in an unequivocal term that investigation has to be uninfluenced and without interference. That strong foundation is shaking.

"The fact is that this court said that you should be free from interferences as an investigator. You have to be independent, unbiased and you don't have to take any instruction from political master," the bench said.