NEW DELHI, 28 August 2004 — India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday asked investigating agencies to exercise utmost caution to ensure that no innocent was subjected to any “mental torture”. He asked the premier agencies not to harass innocents, warning that injustice done to innocents could set back the fight against corruption.
“Injustice done to innocents can cause serious setback to the fight against corruption which would be the most unfortunate thing in any civilized society,” the prime minister said.
Manmohan suggested the CBI to engage psychologists, behavioral science trainers and counselors at the CBI’s training institutions for developing personality traits among the investigating officers.
“It is equally important that law enforcement agencies should be insulated from any extraneous pressure and allowed to work with total autonomy,” he said.
Manmohan was speaking at the inaugural function of a two-day biennial conference of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Anti-Corruption Bureau of state governments here. Top officials of various investigating and enforcement agencies from 28 states and seven union territories are participating in the conference, which will deliberate on various strategies to tackle corruption.
The prime minister emphasized the need to ensure the protection of the honest and innocent while dealing with various cases and laid emphasis on preventive measures rather than post-facto investigation.
He asked investigators to rely on “management initiatives” to resolve cases rather than outdated methods and procedures.
“Management is an art, not a science. It requires individual initiatives, creativity and willingness to take risks in the larger interests of the enterprise,” Manmohan said.
He referred to the spurt in economic offenses like financial frauds, bank and stock market scams, money-laundering and cyber crimes and said it was important for investigating agencies to develop a high degree of professionalism and also acquire technical skills to deal with them.
A good test of the effectiveness of any investigating body lay in the speed of disposal of cases, Manmohan Singh said.
“Investigation should be speedy and sound, which will ensure success when the matter is taken to law courts.
“The high rate of conviction in anti-corruption cases can be a great advertisement for the anti-corruption agencies,” he added.
