india

Updated: Oct 03, 2019 06:49 IST

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is in the process of identifying investigating officers, who have spent over seven years in a particular unit and 14 years at the same station or city, for transfers over the next two months as part of a rotation policy to break the domination of individuals in probe teams, an officer of the agency said on condition of anonymity.

The number of officers likely to be transferred as part of the policy from the CBI’s 72 units has not been decided but it could be in hundreds, another officer added. The first officer quoted above said it is for the first time in CBI’s history that officers would be rotated in such large numbers.

The CBI has 72 units dealing with corruption, economic offences, cyber crime, special crimes, etc.

The officers who would be transferred include sub-inspectors, inspectors, deputy superintendents, additional superintendents, and superintendents.

The second officer cited above said that exceptions would be made for officers who have genuine medical reasons for serving for longer periods at particular units and stations or are handling probes monitored or ordered by the courts.

“There are officers, who have been posted in a certain unit for over 10 years even though new SPs [superintendents of police], DIGs [deputy inspectors general], joint directors have kept joining their teams,’’ he said.

He added that officers are capable of influencing probes or other internal administrative matters if they stay in a unit for too long. “These transfers will streamline the processes and restore the agency’s credibility.”

CBI on September 20 transferred as many as 200 employees, including lower division clerks, upper division clerks and office superintendents who usually assist investigators in most of the paperwork. This was the first time in several decades that the agency transferred such a large number of lower-rung employees.

CBI director Rishi Kumar Shukla in August ordered the rotation policy for investigating officers and has underlined that it should be adhered to strictly, the officials said.

A retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who has worked as the agency’s joint director for five years, called the rotation of investigating officers a positive. This would prevent them from indulging in corruption, or conniving with suspects and also provide them with the experience of working in different units, the officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity said.

In July, the government informed Parliament that 36 CBI officers faced corruption charges between 2016 and 2019.

NR Wasan, another retired IPS officer, referred to the transfer of 200 lower-rung officials and said top officers should also be rotated on a regular basis for more effective work.

CBI has currently 5,962 personnel against a sanctioned strength of around 7,274. In 2018, the agency registered 765 first information reports (FIRs) and 134 preliminary inquiries in matters related to corruption, economic fraud, cheating, and so on, according to the agency. Around 550 cases CBI handled ended with convictions and 233 with acquittals in 2018. The accused were discharged in 23 cases. As many as 50 cases were disposed of. By the end of December 2018, CBI dealt with 9,255 pending court cases across the country.