NEW DELHI: Pitching for the creation of an independent umbrella institution to bring various investigative agencies under one roof, CJI N V Ramana said it would end multiplicity of proceedings and such a law will also lead to much needed legislative oversight. “A single incident these days gets investigated by multiple agencies, often leading to dilution of evidence, contradiction in depositions, prolonged incarceration of innocents.
It will also save the institution from being blamed as a tool of harassment. Once an incident is reported, the organisation should decide as to which specialised wing should take up investigation,” the CJI said. An additional safeguard that needed to be built into the scheme was to have separate and autonomous wings for prosecution and investigation in order to ensure total independence, he added. Addressing CBI officials and other dignitaries, the CJI said that the need of the hour was to reclaim social legitimacy and public trust.
“The first step to gain the same is to break the nexus with the political executive,” he remarked. The CJI also remarked that there was an urgent requirement for modernising the police system, and there should be political will to ensure democratic policing. “Given our experience with democracy so far, it is proven beyond doubt that democracy is best suited for a pluralistic society like ours. So, it is essential that all the institutions, including police and the investigative bodies, uphold and strengthen democratic values.
They should not allow any authoritarian tendencies to creep in,” he said. Police and the investigative agencies, the CJI said, may have de facto legitimacy, but yet, as institutions, they still had to gain social legitimacy. “With the passage of time, like every other institution of repute, the CBI has also come under deep public scrutiny. Its actions and inactions have often raised questions regarding its credibility.” The image of the institution of police is regrettably tarnished by allegations of corruption, police excesses, lack of impartiality and close nexus with the political class, he remarked.
The CJI expressed satisfaction over the CBI currently maintaining a low profile unlike the past where they did press conferences without the investigation being completed.