Explaining the problem faced by the premier investigating agency due to the provision for obtaining consent from the states in each case, he said even for matters relating to Central government officials, the CBI was dependent on the state government concerned. We have initiated the move. Even in major cases like those relating to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination and the recent Indian Airlines plane hijacking, CBI took considerable time to take up investigation as initial cases were registered by the police in the states concerned. Describing as 'very heavy' the work load in the under-staffed CBI, Raghavan said the agency registered 1000 to 1200 cases every year on an average.
Cases pour in from all quarters.
Expressing concern over shortage of investigators due to freeze in promotions for the last three years due to several 'knotty issues' like court cases, he said there were about 800 vacancies in the agency as very few people were inclined to join the organisation in the lower ranks from state police forces on a deputation basis. Though some posts were reserved for deputationists, police personnel were reluctant to join the CBI because of 'greener pastures' in states, he said adding several rules relating to recruitment and promotion have to be amended in order to improve manpower of the agency. Admitting that the best prosecutors were not available to it, Raghavan said of late the agency was entitled to appoint special counsels in major cases as it did in the Bofors Gun deal payoffs case. Asked whether CBI faced political pressures, Raghavan said the system was such that varied pressures came from various quarters. All rights reserved.