New Delhi: Sixty cases of departmental action were pending against CBI officers as of December 31, 2024, the latest report by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has said. Of these cases, 22 are 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.