Time to insulate CBI from political executive: Ex-CJI RM Lodha
Former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha on Saturday argued for an independent Central Bureau of Investigation. Talking to news agency ANI, the justice said that it was time that CBI was 'insulated from political executive'.
"The premier investigating agency has to be given independence. Time has come for it to be insulated from political executive. As long as the political executive continues to have control, whoever is in power, these type of things will occur," Justice Lodha said.
The former CJI's comments come a day after CBI director Alok Verma resigned from his post after he was ousted by a panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The panel, on Thursday, had transferred Verma from his current post to the Director General Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, two days after Supreme Court reinstated him as the CBI chief. Verma was replaced by M Nageshwar Rao as interim director till government finds next director for the agency, a government order said Thursday.
Breaking his silence, Verma in a statement to PTI late Thursday night said that the CBI, being a prime investigating agency dealing with corruption in high public places, is an institution whose independence should be preserved and protected.
"It must function without external influences. I have tried to uphold the integrity of the institution while attempts were being made to destroy it. The same can be seen from the orders of the central government and the CVC dated October 23, 2018 which were without jurisdiction and were set aside," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
