DNA Edit: CBI feud – The investigating agency’s reputation is in tatters

The cat has been out of the bag and the revelations accompanying it have severely dented the image of the country’s premier investigating agency. The ongoing feud between Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chief Alok Kumar Verma and special director of the agency Rakesh Asthana have reached a point of bitterness when an FIR could be lodged against the latter on charges of bribery. This is unprecedented in the history of CBI that the institution is initiating investigations against its second-in-command, leading to a crisis in which the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has also been dragged. 

The amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act mandates that the agency gets permission from the Department of Personnel and Training before filing an FIR against Asthana. Not to be outdone, Asthana had already written a letter to the Chief Vigilance Commissioner expressing his apprehension of a frame-up. It appears that the vigilance commission is on Asthana’s side. It had earlier rubbished reservations about Asthana’s elevation as director, saying that the corruption charges against him were not substantial. Even the Supreme Court didn’t see much merit in those charges. At this point, the churning in the CBI seems to be the result of a battle of egos. One wonders why the government allowed the feud to fester for months. 

In the wake of coal block and spectrum controversies, the CBI’s credibility in conducting independent probes had been called into question. No wonder the apex court had called it a caged parrot. Now this fight has precipitated a crisis that will tear into what remains of its reputation. If the charges of bribery turn out to be true, the agency should take appropriate action. But if it’s all about personal vendetta, Verma should face the music for putting CBI through such a crisis.