At a time when only a few weeks are left before the onset of the country’s largest democratic exercise, the focus has been shifted to the central investigative agencies of India. In an event organised to remember the first director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), DP Kohli, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud ignited the debate around the efficiency of these investigative agencies.
He said that probe agencies should choose their battles as they have been “spread too thin”. Chandrachud even highlighted that the crimes that concern ‘national security’ and ‘economic offences’ should be given top-notch preference when it comes to investigation.
He has given a call to maintain a “delicate balance” between the cases that are being probed, and the power of seizure associated with them without breaching any individual’s privacy.
The remarks by Chandrachud remind us of recent international bodies, including the United Nations, the United States of America and Germany, commenting on the arrests of notable Opposition leaders — the recent case of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal — followed by IT notices received by the Congress on the total tax demand.
These international bodies have also highlighted the need for free and fair elections in India, where political parties are allowed to compete equally.
Although India has refuted the claims and denoted them as “unwarranted”, these international organisations and nations taking such inferences from the present situation in India reflect poorly on the electoral reality of a country, which is touted as the mother of democracy.
When the CJI underscored the need to select cases that concern ‘economic offences’, one is reminded of India’s bank frauds of 2023.
The Reserve Bank of India has documented bank frauds surpassing Rs 302.5 billion, or Rs 30,250 crore, in the fiscal year of 2023.
Additionally, there has been a staggering loss of over Rs 200 crore to the nation in 2023, which is the resultant effect of various scams, including UPI, bank frauds and email scams.
Notably, the recovery of the funds being cheated has been abysmal with only two to eight per cent of the lost money being successfully recovered.
The figures find resonance in the concern raised by the CJI, both in terms of national security and financial crimes.
The Opposition leaders have targeted the Enforcement Directorate and other central investigative agencies over their dismal conviction rate.
This time, too, when the parliamentary elections are around the corner, the narrative around India’s probe agencies is that they are deliberately tightening the noose on the opposition leaders to weaken them ahead of the polls— a perception that is hard to ignore.
Time will tell us who emerges victorious in the elections.
However, the recent developments and exchange of words may have left blemishes on India’s legacy of being a fair-playing nation with democratic ideals.
Follow us
