According to latest report of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) there is a shortfall of 1,584 officers against the sanctioned strength of 7,274 in the CBI
Shortfall of officers continues to plague the CBI, touted as country's premier investigating agency, which in turn is reflecting negatively in its ability to prosecute and secure convictions.
According to latest report of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which looks after and controls the CBI administratively, there is a shortfall of 1,584 officers against the sanctioned strength of 7,274 in the CBI. Of these, there is a shortfall of over 600 SP/DSP and Inspector & SI level officers, who are considered to be the mainstay of investigations.
Besides, there is a shortfall of 95 law officers and 90 technical officers who are required to hold the probe done by the CBI investigators in the court for prosecution.
Expressing serious concerns on the pending vacancies, a department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee in its recent report had lambasted the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice for leaving the "CBI crippled with a very basic requirement, shortage of manpower".
Apparently, the shortage in vacancies reflects amply in the CBI investigations and pendency of cases. As on December 31, 2016 there were 9,469 cases pending in various courts of the country. The report shows that the backlog of cases under investigation has grown from 1,004 cases in 2014 to 1,113 in 2015 and 1,156 in 2016.
Similarly, according to the DoPT report, the pendency of one year old cases has also increased from 278 in 2014 to 317 in 2015 and to 454 in 2016.
Last year, the CBI managed to secure a conviction rate of 66.8 per cent by securing convictions in 621 cases out of 954 prosecutions launched by it, while 274 cases resulted in acquittals and 93 were discharged and disposed of otherwise by the courts.
The conviction rate of the CBI, however, has shown a downward trend by coming down two per cent from 2013, when it claimed to have clocked 68.6 per cent conviction rate.
Lambasting the ministry, the parliamentary committee said, it is "apprehensive that unless the present malady of massive vacancy is not corrected immediately, the very purpose of establishment of the CBI would be eroded and its credibility tarnished."
Incidentally, the ministry also had to bear the wrath of the parliamentary panel for placing before it the category-wise vacancy positions in the CBI.
CBI's Manpower
Sanctioned strength – 7274
In position – 5690
Vacancies – 1584
Vacancy in important ranks
Special Director – 2
Joint Director – 1
DIGs – 25
SSP/SP – 45
DSPs – 54
Inspectors – 256
SIs and ASIs– 249
Law Officers – 90
Technical Officers – 95
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "CBI")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}