Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said a special investigation team (SIT) will inquire into the mess in the CBI.
Addressing a press conference here after the government divested the two top CBI officers of their charge, Jaitley said the CBI is the nation’s premiere investigating agency and the maintenance of its institutional integrity is a pre-condition, absolutely essential.
“An unfortunate scenario has surfaced recently as the two topmost officers of the CBI have been accused. The requirement of fairness and fair play has to be there; the government can neither investigate, nor it will. The power of investigation lies with the CVC,” Jaitley said.
A SIT not functioning under either of these officers would investigate the case, he said.
To maintain the institutional integrity of the CBI and in the interest of fairness, purely as an interim measure, they (Rakesh Asthana and Alok Verma) will sit out by going on leave.
The CVC’s recommendation and the government’s action is intended to restore the institutional integrity and credibility of the CBI. Jaitley said.
“If a government is a fast-acting government, we say ‘why the hurry’ and if it is slow, people call it ‘policy paralysis’, Jaitley said on the late-night government order sending both Asthana and Verma on leave.
He said both top CBI officers are pointing fingers at each other. “The government won’t investigate this and it can’t. The Central Vigilance Commission has the powers to investigate it.”
The FM said, “The CVC has all the material that both officers have complained of. On Tuesday, at its meeting, it was suggested that neither officer should probe it as they are the accused. Therefore, they should go on leave, and a SIT operating under neither of them should probe the charges.”
