The
Government of India in a major step to allow more autonomy to CBI placed the
agency’s legal wing under the command of the CBI Director, making his word
final in investigations on 25 December 2013. Earlier, the legal wing of the
agency reported to the Law Ministry.
The Directorate of Prosecution has been now placed under the
stewardship of the agency director, who will not only see the promotions and
postings but will also write the annual confidential reports, which was earlier
done by the Law Minister.
In
CBI, the Directorate of Prosecution is responsible for conducting and
supervising cases pending trial, appeal and revision in courts. It also
supervises and monitors the conduct of prosecution in the courts and gives
advice to the CBI officers on all legal matters of general or specific issues,
which arose during trial or investigation.
The Director of Prosecution was the chief functionary of the Prosecution Wing of CBI and was vested with powers of direction and control over prosecuting officers. Those powers have now passed to the CBI Director.
The Director of Prosecution was the chief functionary of the Prosecution Wing of CBI and was vested with powers of direction and control over prosecuting officers. Those powers have now passed to the CBI Director.
The new arrangement gives the power to a final view on
investigations and subsequently the charge sheets to the CBI Director, which
earlier was overturned by the Directorate of Prosecution.
The Lokpal Bill recently passed by the Parliament provides that
the DoP should be placed under the CBI Director. The Lokpal Bill also provides
that the DoP headed by the Director of Prosecution to be placed under the CBI
director. The Lokpal Bill that the Director of Prosecution will be appointed in
consultation with the Lokpal and CVC. A new Directorate of Prosecution (DoP), O
P Verma has joined the agency on 24 December 2013.