Faced pressure in Mayawati, Telgi cases: Ex-CBI chief

NEW DELHI: Political pressure on CBI is among the most ill-kept secrets in town. On Friday, former CBI chief U S Misra openly acknowledged as much, saying pressure was brought to bear on him in politically sensitive cases, including one concerning BSP chief Mayawati's alleged disproportionate assets and the multi-crore Telgi scam. Admitting he faced pressure in the case against Mayawati, Mishra told Times Now, "The fact remains, I won't hide it, that when we investigate cases against prominent political leaders, there are some influences to keep the progress report pending or present it in a certain way." He also said CBI presently works like a government department and needs to be made independent. Mishra, who headed the CBI from 2003 to 2005, said the interest of a Cabinet minister in the Telgi case had forced him to approach Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "I had approached the prime minister and had a discussion with him on the issue when some ministers gave me advice on Telgi case," he said.

He refused to disclose names of ministers, but hinted they could be in the current Cabinet, tantalizingly adding that details could be there in a book he is writing on his experience as the head of the country's premier investigating agency. "I will not give the names right now. I am writing a book," he said.

Mishra claimed "these requests from ministers are usually verbal and no record is kept in CBI for such calls from ministers".

The sensational confirmation of the obvious comes at a time when the Centre has been accused of using the CBI case against Mayawati to pressure her to rescue UPA out of tough political spots; most recently during the vote on FDI in retail. Mayawati denied the allegation that she helped UPA out of fear of CBI, but said the NDA government did try to use the agency against her.

However, Mishra denied that NDA used CBI against Mayawati, saying, "Supreme Court had asked CBI to give a report in Taj Corridor case within 20 days. It (investigation) was all between CBI and Supreme Court."

The widely held perception about misuse of CBI by successive regimes has led to demands for the agency to be made truly autonomous by stripping the government of the power to appoint its chief and exercise administrative control over it.

A unanimous report of the select committee of Parliament addressed the concern by recommending that the CBI chief be appointed by a collegium that includes the leader of opposition and the Chief Justice of India, although it rejected the demand of anti-graft activists for the agency to placed under Lokpal.

Congress promptly rejected Mishra's allegations. "To wake up after so many years and make such claims, I don't think any importance should be given to such allegations. Also, it needs to be confirmed under whose regime did he serve as CBI chief. I think he was CBI chief when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was prime minister. So the BJP leaders should give an explanation," an agency report quoted minister of state for parliamentary affairs Rajeev Shukla as saying.

But BJP and JD(U) were quick to latch on to Mishra's outburst with the former reiterating that CBI had become 'Congress Investigation Bureau'. "We have been saying right from day one that CBI is being misused from time to time to harass political opponents or win over allies. CBI has been converted into Congress Bureau of Investigation," agencies quoted BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu as saying.

When asked whether the pressure is brought upon CBI in all political cases, Mishra said, "Pressure comes to CBI because it has no independent status." He added that he had given certain suggestions to the parliamentary committee for making CBI independent.

According to agencies, Mishra attracted criticism from SP and RJD too. "This reflects his cowardice. When he was holding the post, such things were not visible to him. And now he comes up with allegations," RJD chief Lalu Prasad said.

SP leader Naresh Aggarwal went a step ahead, demanding that "a law should be made that the oath of secrecy that these officials take should be for life. It should not serve as a platform for those who want to enter politics and then they make up such allegations".

After this allegation, I suggest the Supreme Court should step in to make the CBI truly independent.

The Supreme itself is aware how it is being forced to make the CBI book culprits and the Congress does not allow the CBI to work independently.

The SP, BSP and RJD and DMK would naturally deny these allegations as they were the main parties who were saved by the pressure on the CBI.

The Congress would deny the allegation since it was the one who applied the pressure. All the opposition parties, except the above should not allow parliament to run until the CBI was made independent.

But will they?

No!

The BJP and its allies also applied similar pressures when the NDA was in power.

Prakash Singh Badal would be caught in the CBI net if it was truly independent.

The first duty of Kejriwal should be to make the CBI, truly independent, impervious to the pressures and politics of the party in power at the centre.