Government has no interest for or against any individual: Jaitley

New Delhi: Welcoming the Supreme Court order seeking completion of a probe into allegations against top officials of CBI within two weeks, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Friday said the government has no interest for or against any individual and is keen only on maintaining the institutional integrity of the investigative agency.

Jaitley said recent developments have eroded the credibility of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the "CVC, in the interest of fairness, had passed an order that till investigation or inquiry is pending against the two top officers of the CBI, they must step aside and recuse themselves from CBI's function".

The Supreme Court asking the Central Vigilance Commission to complete within two weeks its inquiry into corruption allegations against CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma is an "extremely positive development," he said. "The government has no interest for or against any individual. The government is interested in only maintaining the professionalism, the image and the institutional integrity of the CBI".

Justifying asking Verma and Rakesh Asthana, a special director at the agency, being relieved of their roles, he said this was necessary for the "larger interest of fairness because you can't be heading an agency which is investigating into your own conduct".

"What has happened in the Supreme Court on Friday is that it has further strengthened the fairness criteria," he said.

Jaitley said it is only an inquiry which will ensure that truth comes out.

"The truth coming out is in the larger interest of India," he said. "All officers of CBI, particularly the top few officers, like Ceaser's wife must be beyond suspicion; they must be above suspicion."