No one was spared, no interference in 2G probe: CBI

No one was spared in the 2G telecom spectrum case, outgoing chief of the Central Bureau of Investigation A P Singh said on Wednesday, rejecting suggestions of any political interference.

"We were monitored by the Supreme Court. They were watching every move that we were making. Some matters are still pending for Letter Rogatory. When the Letters Rogatory comes, then we will review all these issues," he said.

Singh, who is demitting office on Friday, was responding to a question on whether some high-profile people could not be made accused in the 2G allocation case due to political interference.

Responding to questions about political interference in the working of the CBI, Singh said there was absolutely no political interference in the investigations.

"During our investigation, we are only answerable to the trial court. Nobody can give us any directions. Only cases where the Supreme Court is monitoring, the high court is monitoring the case, yes we are under pressure from them, but no political person can tell us what needs to be done," he said.

"CBI is totally insulated from political interference. Our officers work absolutely free and impartially. In 2G and in so many cases, there have been so many differences of opinions. And the difference of opinion arises because everybody writes what he feels. Otherwise you will never have a difference of opinion. It will be always be what the director decides," he said.

About the organisational challenges faced by the agency during his tenure, Singh said the lack of a state-of the art forensic laboratory remains a major lacuna in the agency.

"You need to have state-of-the-art forensic laboratory. In the Bhanwari Devi case, we had to send the evidence to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Then there are so many issues like leave requests, shortage of manpower," he said.

Singh said he never really got a chance to look into organisational matters because from day one, he was busy with the probe in scams.

"There have been a lot of challenges. The CBI needs to be made into a multi-disciplinary agency. You need to attract people from other agencies and expertise --there has to be change in the structuring of the CBI," he said.

On the issue of coal block allocations, another major scam investigated by the agency during his tenure, Singh said the slow progress is because of the lack of sufficient manpower to handle the probe in the scam, which is spread across three ministries and 142 companies.

"It is in the process of verification. There are 142 companies in the first phase and another 50 companies in the second phase. All documents need to be collected. There are three ministries and various state governments involved. It is a mammoth task. We have not been able to given them enough man power to do it. So it will take time, but things will happen," Singh said.