New Delhi, Sep 1: As many as 60 cases of departmental action were pending against CBI officers, the latest report by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has said. Of these cases, 22 were pending for more than four years.
“Pendency of cases against CBI officers reflects on the reputation and image of the country’s premier investigation agency,” said the recently released CVC’s annual report 2024.
As of December 31, 2024, as many as 39 departmental cases against Group ‘A’ officers and 21 cases against Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ officials of the CBI were pending at various stages, it said.
The CVC exercises superintendence over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the agency’s probe into offences alleged to have been committed under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988.
In its report, the probity watchdog also reviewed the progress of cases pending with respective authorities for the want of sanction to prosecute corrupt government officials.
The CBI reported that at the end of 2024, a total of 200 cases were pending for grant of prosecution sanction under the PC Act, 1988, which belong to 46 different organisations, the report said.
In these cases pending with various organisations, 534 requests have been made for granting prosecution sanction, as some of the cases involved more than one accused person, it said. Of the total, 106 cases were pending prosecution sanction for over three months.
Competent authorities are expected to decide on cases of sanction of prosecution within three months. Another month can be provided in cases where there is a requirement for consultation with the Attorney General or any law officer in the attorney general’s office.
The commission regularly reminds the authorities concerned in the central government departments and organisations to expedite decisions in cases pending for sanction for prosecution beyond the mandatory time limit given in the Act, it said.
As of December 31, 2024, a total of 72 references involving 171 officers were also pending with different organisations for previous approval sought by CBI under Section 17 A of the PC Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), for conducting an investigation, the report said.
The Section makes prior approval of an appropriate authority mandatory before initiating any enquiry or investigation into any corruption-related offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant.
“The commission, on its part, advises the authorities concerned on a regular basis, for prompt disposal of requests for conducting investigation, as received by them from CBI,” the report said.
Over 1,500 posts were lying vacant in the CBI, according to the CVC report. “The total sanctioned strength of CBI as on December 31, 2024, was 7,300, against which 5,798 officials were in positions; 1,502 posts were lying vacant.”
The highest of 887 posts lying vacant were of “executive ranks”, 503 of “ministerial staff”, 57 of “technical officers”, 48 of “law officers” and seven of “canteen staff”, the report said. (Agencies)
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