CBI not a political tool: Anil Sinha

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Anil Sinha on Friday sought to dismiss claims that the agency was acting as a “political tool” and asserted that during his tenure no political leader had called him seeking any favour.

The CBI director also sounded optimistic as he claimed that efforts were on to bring back Dawood Ibrahim and all agencies of the government were working towards it. “I cannot give any time-frame (on bringing back Dawood) but no one should have any doubt... In this case (on Chhota Rajan), we got cooperation from many international agencies. It was not a surrender,” he said.

The CBI chief said it was a six-month-long operation during which Rajan was located and brought back to face the law in the country.

Sinha said if similar cooperation is received from other countries, efforts to bring  back Dawood will also be successful. He refused to share further details, saying divulging such operational details can jeopardise the efforts.

Sinha, who took over as the CBI chief in December 2014, tried to distance himself from the scathing criticism the agency faced from the Supreme Court during the tenure of his predecessor, saying “that was then, not now”.

“Do you ask Virat why we lost during Dhoni’s captaincy or ask Dhoni why we lost during Sunil Gavaskar’s captaincy,” he said, adding that he can take onus of decisions taken during his tenure, and not his predecessors.

The Supreme Court had termed the agency as “caged parrot” in the hands of his masters during the tenure of former director Ranjit Sinha.

Even during the tenure of Anil Sinha, the agency took some controversial decisions like not appealing against a court order discharging the president of a political party from serious charges levelled by the CBI, and conducting searches at the residence of Himachal Pradesh CM on the day of marriage of his daughter.