The Covid-19 lockdown has taken a toll on registration of fresh cases by the premier anti-corruption agency, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has not lodged a single FIR since March 20.
Sources said the agency is functioning from a pool of skeletal staff due to preventive measures like work from home and social distancing.
So only matters of urgency like filing of chargesheets in pressing cases before relevant courts are being taken up amid a slew of restrictions across the country to beat the spread of the pandemic, they pointed out.
In view of the restrictions that also involve checks on movement of personnel besides minimal attendance of staff at agency offices across the country, even questioning of suspects and accused are being undertaken sparingly, said an official.
On the CBI’s official website, the new FIRs were posted last on March 20 and thereafter, not a single case has been uploaded.
As per a Supreme Court directive, the new FIRs are supposed to be uploaded on the agency’s official website within 24 hours and those of secretive nature and with bearing on ongoing probe need to be posted within 72 hours.
Sources said in the given scenario it will be difficult for the agency to file chargesheets in the stipulated 90-day period in special crimes under the Indian Penal Code and within the requisite 60-day limit for filing chargesheets in anti-corruption cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Once the lockdown and related restrictions are lifted post-containment of the viral disease that has hit almost each and every country around the globe, it will be difficult for the sleuths to wrap up probe and the agency may be bound to seek extensions from related courts to pursue the investigation, another official said.
Processing of Letters Rogatory (judicial requests) and notices under the Interpol have also been hit due to the Covid-related containment measures, leading to delays in wrapping up probe in certain cases, another official said.
As per the prevailing instructions, non-essential staff barely visit the agency headquarters here and some of them attend their offices barely once a week, added a source.