Coalgate: CBI is a caged parrot, says SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has raised questions on the independence of CBI, calling it a caged parrot speaking in its master's voice.

Making a scathing comment on the functioning of the investigating agency, the apex court said that the affidavit filed by CBI shows that it has many masters.

Asking the government to make CBI impartial, the apex court said it needs to be ensured that the CBI functions free of all external pressures.

If the CBI is not made independent, we will step in, the SC observed.

Commenting on Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's role, the apex court said that a minister can ask for a report but can't interfere with the CBI probe.

The court questioned how the CBI could have regular interactions with the ministry officials.

Slamming the action of joint secretaries who saw the probe report, the SC said, what business does the two joint secretaries have in visiting the CBI office?

The apex court observations came on CBI director Ranjit Sinha's second affidavit filed on Monday, stating that Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and senior officials of the PMO and coal ministry had made changes in the Coalgate probe report.

Ranjit Sinha in his nine-page affidavit to SC had given details of series of meetings with Ashwani Kumar, Vahanvati, Additional Solicitor General Haren Raval and Shatrughan Singh and A K Bhalla, joint secretaries of the PMO and the coal ministry during which changes in the probe reports were suggested and made by them.

The CBI version contradicts reports of Ashwani Kumar's account that he was not involved in drafting the changes.

Attorney General GE Vahanvati had earlier claimed in the apex court that he was not aware about the contents of the status report, a statement which has been contradicted by the CBI director's affidavit saying that AG had glanced through the report and changes were made in it on his suggestion.