Heed the Panel

In its report to the Assam Government, the Committee on Revamp of the Assam Police (CRAP) has suggested that investigating agencies like the Bureau of Investigation of Economic Offence, Anti-Corruption and Vigilance Cell and the Chief Minister’s Vigilance Cell be given more powers so that they can take cases on their own and issue charge-sheets after completion of investigation without any approval from the government. This is a suggestion that should not go unheeded. In the existing system, the investigating agencies cannot take cases on their own, nor can they issue any charge-sheet after completion of investigation without approval from the government. In other words, more often than not these agencies exist just for the sake of it. They are mostly in the business of responding to the expectations of the party/coalition in power; if the higher-ups in the government were to say ‘‘no’’ to an inconvenient investigation, the agencies would simply slow down the investigation  or not move at all. It is clear that the CRAP’s is an attempt to check the blatant abuse of political power in derailing investigations into cases relating mainly to corruption and render justice to the affected. The ruling politicians have long held to ransom the democratic system by politicizing as many investigative processes as possible. Assam, notorious for corruption, is a special case, and therefore, needs a special treatment as the one that the panel in question has harped on. The CRAP has done its job, and now it is for the government to  implement its recommendations. THE SENTINEL