'No tainted officer can ever join CBI'

After a sustained awareness campaign for the past couple of years, the anti-corruption wing of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Mumbai has managed to reach out to the masses. The result is that more and more people are now coming forward to complain against high-ranking central government employees and their corrupt practices. The Mumbai-based west region headquarters of the CBI has managed to trap many such government officials in the past few months. Abhin Modak, superintendent of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the CBI speaks to DNA about the department's good work.

There has been a spurt of corruption cases involving central government employees. What is the reason?
Yes, we have seen an increase in the number of cases registered. This could be because we have intensified our awareness drive among the public, encouraging them to come forward and register complaints. This was done mainly through three channels - firstly, sending SMSes through all telephone service providers, asking people to approach us, and assuring anonymity.

Secondly, we advertised in newspapers and sent our teams to every district to create awareness against corruption. We also distributed pamphlets and promised results. This has ensured that more and more people encountering corrupt officials approach us with their grievances. Our arrests, some of them of high-profile officers, have also resulted in building confidence among the people. Initially, there was a perception was the CBI was limited to only high-end cases, but with this campaign, cracking the whip on corruption became the focus.

What are the infrastructural developments made by the department?
The department has undergone a fair amount of modernisation in the last couple of years. We  have better audio and video recording facilities and networking software. Also, the department is being completely computerised, thereby reducing paperwork. All case files are now computerised and all investigating officers (IOs) have been given laptops to facilitate investigation. They are also being put through regular refresher courses.

What are the new streams in which CBI officers are being trained?
With changing economy and society, the nature of crime is also changing. To keep our officers updated on current trends, we have tied up with institutions across India where our officers are sent for training. This is essential as it helps them understand a case better and also look at it in the larger perspective. For instance, we have trained our men in insurance policies, capital markets, cyber crime, forensic training and techniques and banking frauds.

What is the department doing to speed up long-pending trials?
This is a major area of concern for the department. We are increasing the number of courtrooms so that cases are disposed of faster. Seventy-seven exclusive CBI courts are scheduled to be set up across India. In Maharashtra, three new courts will be set up in Mumbai and one each in Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad.
 
What efforts are on to ensure vacant posts are filled to ensure better functioning of the department? 
Our department is short-staffed, but we are in the process of recruiting more officers and filling the vacancies. But, the primary problem is that any officer who aspires to join us needs to have a clean track record. No officer with a tainted background is included in the department.