Two months after being restrained from sharing details of its probe into alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks with any person or authority,the CBI on Monday invoked legal provisions and its manual to request the Supreme Court to let it now share the probe details with appropriate government/authority and its prosecutors. Incidentally,it was only after the consent of the CBI counsel and Attorney General that the court on May 8 ordered CBI Director Ranjit Sinha not to share details with any person or authority,including any Minister of the Central cabinet,law officers,advocate(s) of CBI,Director of Prosecution and officials/officers of the Central government. The CBI came under fire after Sinha told the Supreme Court in May that Ashwani Kumar,the then Law Minister,and other officials of the Prime Ministers Office and Coal Ministry had amended a status report on the probe into the coal block allocation case before submission. Perturbed by the CBI changing the heart of the report at the instance of its masters,the Supreme Court had remarked that the agency had become a caged parrot. Now,two days before the apex court is set to take up for consideration the Centres response on ensuring CBIs autonomy and the latest investigation report,the CBI brought up provisions of the Delhi Police Special Establishment Act and the CBI manual to convey that investigation details will need to be shared with government authorities. As per the CBI,modification in the May 8 order was necessary so that the investigation proceed efficaciously and all aspects of the matter be fairly and effectively probed. In its plea,CBI cited Sections 4,5 and 6A of the Act to argue that probe details will need to be shared to get approval for investigation across states. It added that this was necessary to seek approval and prosecution sanction from appropriate government authorities in respect of public officials.
