Date:03/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080360921200.htm

National

We can work jointly with police: CBI chief

“There is no political interference in the functioning of the agency”

— Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

CBI Director Ashwani Kumar with his colleagues at the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi on Saturday.

NEW DELHI: As globalisation of crime has become increasingly alarming, a professional national crime fighting agency has to remain a dynamic organisation to smash the international links of terror networks and economic offenders.

“We can very well have joint operations with our State police as well as with other countries. The role of CBI is not limited within the country. We may have joint operations, investigations and joint prosecution,” Ashwani Kumar told journalists on Saturday soon after taking charge as Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation here.

He favoured close coordination between the State police forces and the CBI in dealing with crimes.

“The State police forces have a major role to perform and the CBI can assist them. When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Ahmedabad following the recent serial blasts, he announced that there would be joint operation and investigation.”

Asked whether the CBI would be able to lay hands on Dawood Ibrahim, the key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts who is believed to be in Pakistan, Mr. Kumar said an Interpol Red Corner notice still remained against the international terrorist. “We will be successful. I hope we will successfully bring him back to the country.”

Dismissing reports of political interference in the functioning of the CBI, Mr. Kumar, said: “There is no political interference. CBI is a non-political organisation. CBI has pressure from society, the country and even the media. We are confident of taking this pressure and coming out successful.”

The CBI’s problem was that expectations of it from the public, the government, the media and the judiciary were huge, he said.