Govt to form judges' panel to oversee CBI investigations

In an attempt to insulate CBI's probe from external influence, government may form a panel of retired judges to oversee its investigations, according to the conclusions reached by the Group of Ministers which would submit its report to the Cabinet on June 27.
The GoM which finalised its recommendations on the methods to insulate the agency from external influence today suggested to form an accountability committee of retired judges which would oversee the probes carried out by CBI, official sources said.
They said the recommendation along with other suggestions of the GoM would be placed before the Cabinet on June 27 where a final view would be taken on the measures suggested by the GoM which was chaired by Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

The GoM, constituted by the Prime Minister to consider the matter relating to an appropriate law being made to provide for the independence of CBI and its functional autonomy, has also agreed to increase the financial powers of the agency chief which was one of the demands of the agency for long time, they said.
"We have decided and that is fundamental principle of the Constitution that there should be no interference of government or any other agency in the probe carried out CBI or any other agency. We are committed to that. We feel that there should be accountability along with autonomy," Law Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters after the meeting.

He said the group would move the Cabinet on June 27 for the changes that will be made "to ensure that there is no interference, whatsoever, in the processes of investigation" of the CBI either by government or by any other authority.
Once Cabinet clears changes proposed by the GoM, an affidavit would be submitted before the Supreme Court in this regard on July 6 which is likely to hear the matter on July 10.