On Monday, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said that India’s premier investigative agencies are stretched too thin and advised them to focus particularly on cases involving national security and economic offenses against the nation.
Addressing the 20th D. P. Kohli Memorial Lecture on CBI Raising Day in Delhi, CJI Chandrachud said, ‘I think we have perhaps been spreading our investigative agencies too thin over the years, despite a rapid change in the environment. Our premier investigative agencies must concentrate their attention and efforts on that class of crime which truly threatens the security of the nation, public order or economic health of the nation’.
Chief Justice Chandrachud emphasised how the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is increasingly being tasked with probe a wide range of criminal cases beyond its primary role as an anti-corruption agency.
‘This places a huge responsibility on CBI to live upto its motto’, the CJI noted.
The Chief Justice of India suggested that the solution lies in digitising the investigation process, starting from the filing of a First Information Report (FIR). Given the large number of cases, utilising technology is crucial to reduce delays.
He also stressed the importance of collaboration among all arms of the criminal justice administration and stakeholders, including the Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs), through workshops to address the challenges faced.
Furthermore, he said that structural reforms should be implemented to upgrade the investigation agency.
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