press trust of india
New Delhi, Dec 22: The CBI has failed to build cases that withstand judicial scrutiny and produce favourable verdicts in many a high-profile or politically sensitive cases, as was evident in the matter of 2G spectrum allocation. The investigating agency, which the Supreme Court had once termed a “caged parrot”, has had to face much embarrassment in courts, raising questions about its efficacy.
From alleged corruption cases in the 2G spectrum allocation to criminal matters such as the sensational Aarushi murder case, the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has come under sharp criticism from courts right up to the apex court. In the Arushi Talwar murder case, the Allahabad High Court had during a hearing in October sharply criticised the theory that the CBI propounded regarding the murder and termed it as “impossible hypothesis” and “patently absurd”.
The CBI’s investigation in the politically sensitive Bofors payoff case also failed before judicial scrutiny that led to the Delhi High Court quashing all charges against the Hinduja brothers — Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand — and the Bofors company May 31, 2005. The high court castigated the CBI over its handling of the Bofors case, saying it had cost the exchequer about Rs250 crore. The CBI’s Multi Disciplinary Monitoring Agency probe into the larger conspiracy aspect in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi also recently came under the radar of the top court. The apex court observed that the investigation does not appear to have made “much headway” and could be “endless”.
In the coal scam, the CBI was time and again caught on the wrong foot by the apex court and the special trial court over its investigation.
The Supreme Court had in May also slammed the CBI for “failing to live up to its reputation” in a fodder scam case involving RJD chief Lalu Prasad, saying there was “intolerable lethargy” in filing an appeal.
The CBI’s case relating to alleged illegal mining in Bellary in which the agency had charge-sheeted former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and others, also fell flat with the trial court discharging all the accused.