Current status of

CBI and implications

of proposed CBI Bill,
2010
CURRENT POSITION O CBI

Introduction
T!e Central Bureau of In"esti#ation
$CBI% &as esta'lis!ed "ide Resolution
No( )*+1*,1-T, dated 1st .pril, 1/,+ of
t!e 0inistr1 of 2ome .3airs,
4o"ernment of India
T!e Resolution states

for t!e in"esti#ation of crimes at present

!andled '1 t!e 5el!i Special Police
Esta'lis!ment
Especiall1

cases under t!e 5efense of India .ct

and Rules

particularl1 of !oardin#, 'lac6

mar6etin# and pro7teerin# in essential
commodities, &!ic! ma1 !a"e
repercussions and rami7cations, in
se"eral States

LEGAL POWERS
5eri"es from t!e 5SPE .ct, 1/),

The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act,
1946

Pream'le sa1s
An Act to make provision for the constitution
of a special police force in Delhi for the
investigation of certain ofences in the Union
territories for the superintendence and
administration of the said force and for the
extension to other areas of the power and
jurisdiction of the members of the said force
in regards to the investigation of the said
ofences.

Section 2 sa1s

constitution of 5el!i Special Police

Esta'lis!ment
for t!e in"esti#ation in an1 Union Territor1 of
o3ences noti7ed under Section +
CBI is Unconstitutional
8erdict of
GAUAT! !G "OURT on
#o$embe% 6, &'1( in
#a$en)%a *+ma%
,e%s+s
Union o- !n)ia . Anothe%
W/ A/ #o/ 119 O0 &''1
2UST!"E ! A A#SAR! an)
2UST!"E !#D!RA SA

T!e 2i#! Court9s order !ad come on a

petition c!allen#in# a CBI c!ar#e s!eet on
a 0a!ana#ar Telep!one Ni#am emplo1ee
:!1 2i#! court !ad !eld CBI
unconstitutional

;uestions 'efore t!e court

I( :!et!er CBI is a statutor1
'od1<
II( :!et!er union #o"ernment can
set up a police force under Entry
and ! of "ist # of $
th Sc!edule to t!e
constitution of India <
III(
:!et!er union #o"ernment can constitute a police force
empo&ered to in"esti#ate crimes '1 &a1 of e=ecuti"e
instructions of union !ome ministr1<

Reasonin# of t!e court

CBI cannot 'e treated as a police force

constituted under t!e 5SPE .ct,1/),

CBI is neit!er an or#an nor a part of

5SPE

T!e &ord >law%& &it!in t!e meanin# of

.rticle 21, mean legislation and not
executive instructions or executive 'at
(

T!ere is no co-relation 'et&een t!e

Entry ( of "ist ) and Entry ! of ?ist II

Entr1 @ of ?ist I does not, in t!e li#!t of

t!e Constituent .ssem'l1 5e'ates,
permit >investigation% of a crime in t!e
manner as is, ordinaril1, done '1 t!e
policeA &!ereas Entry ! of "ist )) permits
enactment of la&s relatin# to police

onl1 State !as e=clusi"e po&er to ma6e

la&s on *police% '1 ta6in# recourse to Entr1
2 of ?ist II $State ?ist
Current status

T!e Centre !ad mo"ed t!e top court see6in# an immediate

sta1 on 2i#! Court order &!ic! it called BerroneousB,
ar#uin# t!at t!e "erdict &ould ad"ersel1 impact t!ousands
of criminal cases pendin# across t!e countr1(

2i#! Court9s order directl1 impacted a'out /,000 trials

currentl1 under&a1 and a'out 1,000 in"esti#ations 'ein#
underta6en '1 t!e CBI(
Sta1 order '1 Supreme Court
BT!ere s!all 'e a sta1 of operation of impu#ned Cud#ment of
No" ,, 201+ passed '1 4au!ati 2i#! Court,B said a 'enc! of
C!ief Dustice P Sat!asi"am and Dustice RanCana 5esai at an
ur#ent !earin# !eld at t!e former9s residence on No" @(
TE "E#TRAL 3UREAU O0
!#,EST!GAT!O# 3!LL, &'1'
TE "E#TRAL 3UREAU O0
!#,EST!GAT!O# 3!LL, &'1'
STATE4E#T O0 O32E"TS A#D REASO#S

$CBI% is no& #o"erned '1 t!e 5el!i Special

Police Esta'lis!ment $5SPE% .ct, 1/), $No(
2E of 1/),%

dates 'ac6 to t!e Pre-Independence and

Pre-Constitutional era(

reFuires consent of States to in"esti#ate

o3ences in t!eir Curisdictions

States !a"e c!allen#ed t!e po&ers of t!e Supreme

Court and t!e 2i#! Courts to order in"esti#ation '1
CBI &it!out t!eir consent(

Parliamentar1 Committees !a"e recommended

replacement of 5SPE .ct '1 an independent CBI
.ct

lac6 of an independent uni7ed Central 4o"ernment

.#enc1 - pre"ention, detection, in"esti#ation and
prosecution of o3ences related to su'Cects
mentioned in t!e ?ist I of t!e se"ent! Sc!edule

2ence t!is .ct as per pro"isions of .rticle 2), of

t!e Constitution

2I42?I42TS O T2E
BI??

It e=tends to t!e &!ole of India

and it applies also -

$a% to citiGens of India outside IndiaA

$'% to persons in t!e ser"ice of t!e

4o"ernment &!ere"er t!e1 ma1 'e and

$c% to persons on s!ips and aircrafts

re#istered in India, &!ere"er t!e1 ma1 'e(
Constitution of Central Bureau of
In"esti#ation

Central 4o"ernment ma1

constitute

for prevention& investigation

and prosecution of ofences or
classes of ofences

included in t!e Sc!edules

anne=ed to t!e .ct and noti7ed
'1 t!e C(4
Bureau ma1 comprise

5irector, Special*.dditional
5irector, Doint 5irector,
5eput1 5irector, .ssistant
5irector, In"esti#ation OHcer,
4rade I, II, and 4rade III

suc! ot!er personnel as ma1

'e speci7ed
Superintendence and
administration of t!e Bureau

o3ences alle#ed to !a"e 'een committed

under t!e Pre"ention of Corruption
.ct, 1/@@ $)/ of 1/@@%, s!all "est in
t!e Central 8i#ilance Commission

)n all other matters s!all "est in t!e

Central 4o"ernment(

T!e administration of t!e Bureau

s!all "est in t!e 5irector

5irector is appointed '1 C(4

Committee for appointment of
5irector Icomprising

$a% C8C - C!airpersonA

$'% 8i#ilance Commissioners I 0em'ersA

$c% Secretar1 to t!e 4o"ernment of India in

c!ar#e of t!e 0inistr1 of 2ome .3airs in t!e
Central 4o"ernment - 0em'erA

$d% Secretar1 to t!e 4o"ernment of India in

c!ar#e of t!e 0inistr1 of Personnel I 0em'er

S!all consider t!e "ie&s of out#oin# director

T!e Committee s!all recommend a

panel of oHcers I

$a% on t!e 'asis of seniorit1, inte#rit1

and e=perience in t!e in"esti#ation of
anti-corruption casesA and

$'% c!osen from amon#st 'elon#in# to

t!e Indian Police Ser"ice constituted
under t!e .ll India Ser"ices .ct, 1/E1
$,1 of 1/E1%, for 'ein# considered for
appointment as t!e 5irector(
Terms and conditions of ser"ice of
t!e 5irector

continue to !old oHce for

a period of not less t!an
t&o 1ears

s!all not 'e transferred

e=cept &it! t!e pre"ious
consent of t!e Committee
In"esti#ation of Sc!eduled O3ences

+ureau shall prevent& investigate

and prosecute

t!e o3ences included in t!e Sc!edule I

and suc! ot!er o3ences as Noti7ed
related to matters in t!e Union ?ist of
t!e Jt! Sc!edule

t!e o3ences included in t!e Sc!edule II

and suc! ot!er o3ences related to
matters in t!e Concurrent ?ist of t!e J
t!
Sc!edule of t!e Constitution of India, in t!e Union Territories of India(
E=tension of po&ers and Curisdiction
of t!e Bureau to States

C(4 can '1 order e=tend Curisdiction

and po&ers of oHcers to an1 area
$includin# Rail&a1 areas%, in a
State, not 'ein# Union Territor1

for t!e pre"ention, in"esti#ation

and prosecution of o3ences

OHcer need to o'tain consent of

t!e State(

OHcer of t!e Bureau to

e=ercise po&ers of oHcer in
c!ar#e of a Police Station

same po&ers and 'e su'Cect to t!e

same pro"isions as t!e oHcer in
c!ar#e of a police station

includin# t!e po&ers and

pro"isions relatin# to re#istration,
in"esti#ation, arrest, searc!,
seiGure, and 7lin# of 7nal report in
t!e Court(
Po&ers of Courts to order
in"esti#ation

T!e Supreme Court and t!e 2i#! Courts

s!all 'e competent to direct

No su'ordinate court s!all 'e competent to

direct t!e Bureau to in"esti#ate or enFuire
into an1 o3ence
0odi7ed application of certain
pro"isions of t!e Code
o
Sec(1,2 of CrPC s!all not appl1 in
relation to an in"esti#ation
conducted '1 an oHcer of t!e
Bureau
o
Statements made to t!e oHcers
s!all 'e reduced in &ritin# and
si#natures or t!um' impressions,
of t!e person ma6in# it s!all 'e
o'tained
Protection of action ta6en in #ood
fait!

No suit, prosecution *ot!er le#al

proceedin# s!all lie a#ainst
oHcers

e=cept &it! t!e pre"ious sanction

of t!e Central 4o"ernment(

No suc! reFuests, s!all 'e

entertained after a period of t&o
1ears
Po&ers of State 4o"ernments not to
'e a3ected

State #o"ernmentKs po&er

to in"esti#ate and prosecute
I not a3ected
Repeal and Sa"in#s

$5SPE% .ct, 1/), REPE.?E5

>5el!i Special Police Esta'lis!mentK s!all 'e

replaced '1 >Central Bureau of
In"esti#ationK &!ere"er it occurs in section
@ of C8C .ct,200+

In t!e Pre"ention of Corruption .ct, 1/@@

$)@ of 1/@@%, su' I section $a% of section 1J
ma1 'e replaced as I >in t!e case of t!e
Central Bureau of In"esti#ation, of an
Inspector 4rade I L IIK(

To concludeM(

It necessar1 to !a"e a ne& compre!ensi"e

act to de7ne t!e po&ers and functions of
CBI

T!e proposed Bill contains t!e pro"isions to

cure t!e e=istin# dra&'ac6s of CBI

T!ere is proposals to s!ield CBI from

e=ternal inNuences and intrusion to some
e=tent

0inimum tenure to its director is assured

In matters of in"esti#ations relatin# to

corruption I no interference '1 t!e C(4
Su##estions

esta'lis!ment of an accounta'ilit1
commission

T!an6 1ou