The world has changed, the CBI must also change, says Supreme Court
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) must keep up with changing world, the Supreme Court has said underlying the need for reforms in the top investigation agency of India.
“The world has changed, the CBI must also change,” the Supreme Court said on 5th December as it heard a plea seeking guidelines for safeguarding academic work that is stored in digital devices seized by investigative agencies.
The remark by Justice S K Kaul came after the other judge on the bench, Justice A S Oka, said he had seen the CBI manual and that “it requires a lot of updation”.
In its affidavit filed in response to the plea, the Centre has said the issue can be addressed by adherence to the CBI Manual, 2020, which it said contains a detailed SOP besides safeguards regarding the seizure of electronic evidence.
The CBI manual “has various provisions dealing with the present subject matter and would substantially allay the apprehensions of the petitioner while balancing the competing legitimate state interest within the confines of Indian Constitutional and statutory framework”, the Centre added. The court fixed the matter for hearing next on February 7.
