The Central Bureau of Investigation or the CBI is the main investigation agency of the Government of India. It derives its power from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. The main role of the CBI is to prevent corruption in the country and maintain integrity in the field of administration. It normally operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel. The CBI academy is located in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. It was established in the year 1996. The CBI has successfully opened three new Regional Training Centres in Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has a very simple motto which says, Industry, Impartiality, and Integrity.

The vision of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) is:

  • Combating corruption from every sphere of life through sincere investigation
  • Fight Cyber and high technology crimes.
  • Create a healthy work environment for all the officers so that it encourages team building, leadership skills, and mutual trust among each other. 
  • The organization Uphold Human Rights, protect the environment, arts, antiques, and heritage of our civilization.
  • Develops a scientific temper, humanism, and spirit of inquiry and reform.

The CBI mainly focuses on providing a society that is corruption free, especially among government officials and public servants. The CBI traces back its roots to the Special Police Establishment (SPE). It is a central government police force that was set up in 1941 by the then Government of India. Its headquarters was set up in Lahore.

The CBI established a reputation for itself as a renowned investigation agency with the resources of solving complicated cases. It was formed on the basis of petitions filed by aggrieved parties against the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

The CBI is headed by a director, an IPS officer with a rank similar to that of the Director General of Police or the Commissioner of Police. The Delhi Police Establishment act comprises of a committee to appoint the director of CBI for a term of 2 years.

The committee comprises of people like:

  •  Prime Minister
  • Leader of Opposition
  • The Chief Justice of India or a Judge from the Supreme Court is recommended by the Chief justice.

The type of cases handled by the CBI are:

Special Crimes: This involves the investigation of serious and organized crimes mentioned under the Indian Penal Code on the requests of the State Government of India and the Supreme Court. It solves cases like bomb blasts, terrorism, extortion and mafia-related crimes.

Economic Crimes: This includes major financial scams like possession of black money or fake Indian Currency, it also includes Cyber Crime, bank frauds, Import Export & Foreign Exchange violations, large-scale smuggling of narcotics, etc.

Anti-Corruption Crimes: For investigation of cases under the Prevention of Corruption against public officials and the employees of Central Government.

Suo Moto Cases: The Central Government can order the CBI to investigate a state matter only by the permission of the state government.

CBI very responsibly and meticulously looks into cases of corruption and fraud committed by public servants of the central government, Departments, Central Public Sector Undertakings and Central Financial Institutions. Economic crimes, including bank frauds, financial fraud and large-scale smuggling of narcotics, antiques, cultural property and other contraband items etc. However, the CBI is supposed to take prior permission of the central government before conducting any investigation or inquiry only if the offense is committed by the joint secretary or any other person of above rank.

Though the CBI has been very instrumental in saving the nation from all kinds of economic problems or corruption-related problems, it has been criticized on several levels. For a very long time it is said to be associated for engaging in nepotism, wrongful prosecution and corruption. It is also said that the Central Bureau of Investigation is criticized for lacking the required autonomy to work as an independent investigating agency. It is also said that CBI mishandles several scams. The CBI is also said to have interfered in the investigation of prominent politicians like Jayalalithaa, P. V. Narasimha Rao, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati. 

Some of the high-profile cases like the Bofors Case, the Coal Scam and the Arushi Talwar Case is probably the organization’s lowest point. What caused the scandal of the Bofors Case was an artillery arms deal between India and Sweden. The top authorities of both the Indian and Swedish governments have been bribing Bofors, a Swedish arms company. However, the CBI misread the whole situation and were blamed for their inability to handle the case.

The Coal Scam is another case of corruption on behalf of the UPA-led government. The government was heavily criticized for selling the nation’s coal to private corporations at a cost of US $140 billion. The CBI got involved in this case to wipe out the corruption. Later, it was came to be known from one of the nations esteemed newspapers that corrupt CBI officials were involved in bribery to weaken and suppress the case.

The infamous Arushi Talwar Case is familiar with almost every citizen of this country. When an adolescent and her servant died mysteriously in Noida, the locals went into a mode of wrath. This was before the judicial proceedings began. The Allahabad High Court disperse the notion that the parents were the murderers. The court also reprimand the CBI for tampering with evidence, which harmed the case.

There was a Bollywood movie that was released in the year 2013, known as ‘Special 26’. This movie depicted the actions of some con artists who outclassed the CBI by being one of their own. Although it was a work of fiction it highlighted the current situation of the CBI.

For more information about the course please feel free to reach out Vishnu IAS Academy or Contact at 9000400939 / 8977500939 mail us at : contact@vishnuias.com

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