Talking to mediapersons about his book Inside CBI in Chennai yesterday, Singh said the deaths whether ``natural or unnatural'' have ``definitely made it difficult to convict the accused.'' However, he was optimistic that the CBI might still ensure conviction because of the documents it possesses.On the `zero' rate of convictions in political cases, Singh said the CBI never files false cases.

Singh pointed out that the CBI faced difficulties as it could not proceed in cases unless the State Governments permitted. There were instances of State Governments withdrawing consent.

INDIAN BANK: Referring to the Indian Bank scam, Singh said he was called by former Prime Minister Deve Gowda on Nov 8, 1996, and asked if he had registereda case in the Indian Bank case.

``When I went to the Prime Minister's residence, I found the then Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, Cabinet Secretary, Finance Secretary, and Revenue Secretary with the Prime Minister. I was asked if the name of Karunanandan was in the First Information Report (FIR). When I replied in the affirmative, the Finance Minister asked me if I had followed the procedure since the CBI had not sought the Centre's permission to investigate. The contention was that Karunanandan was Executive Director, but then I replied that at the time of offence, he was a General Manager. While I might not have followed the procedure, I had the facts, and they were very strong.''

Singh said he asked the Prime Minister if he had to quit as CBI Director, ``but Deve Gowda replied in Kannada that I need not. Despite that the next day, I was given a letter from the Joint Secretary in the Ministry to explain why I had filed a case. I did not send any reply.''

Singh, however, evaded questions on who werethe political beneficiaries in the Indian Bank case. He said chits would go with the recommendations and invariably, the chits would be destroyed or kept `elsewhere'. He said a move was on to introduce an act under which the CBI does not have to take permission to investigate cases against any public servant of any State Government. Presently, the CBI does not have any jurisdiction over IAS and IPS officers of any State Government.

JAYA CASES:The former CBI Director, however, maintained that the agency should not be used to settle political scores. Explaining his revelations in his book on the case in which Jayalalitha was accused of allegedly misusing the Income Tax Act and received some birthday gifts running into crores of rupees from a foreign country, Singh said he told the Ministers that the CBI cannot take up the case against her after obtaining legal opinion. Despite that the Minister attempted to force the CBI to take up the case. He said ``politicians are not public servants.'' He deniedthat he had named S R Balasubramaniam as the Minister who had pressurised him.

BOFORS: As per the evidence collected by the CBI in the Bofors case till he demitted office, he said there was no proof whatsoever linking Rajiv Gandhi with it. However, an MP, who is still one, figures in the case, apart from Quatrocchi, his wife, and son, and Win Chadda and his wife.