Turf war over probe

Even as the Mumbai police are investigating the alleged manipulation of Television Rating Points (TRPs) by news and entertainment channels, the CBI has landed on the scene in a curious way. On the recommendation of the Uttar Pradesh Government, the Central agency has taken over the probe into a complaint regarding the fudging of TRPs, registered recently by the Lucknow police. The complainant, purportedly a regional director in a media and advertising agency, has not named any channel or person involved in the dubious goings-on. No less suspicious is the feverish haste with which the BJP-ruled state has transferred the case to the CBI. In a counter-move, the Shiv Sena-led coalition government in Maharashtra has withdrawn general consent given to the agency to probe cases in the state. Now, the CBI can take up a case in Maharashtra only if it is ordered to do so by the Supreme Court or the High Court.

A similar script had played out in the Sushant Singh Rajput case a few months ago. The Bihar Police lodged an FIR even though the actor’s death had occurred in Mumbai and was being investigated by the local cops. The two police authorities’ slanging match over jurisdiction had ended only when the Supreme Court okayed the transfer of the case to the CBI.

There is a growing perception that the CBI, once infamously dubbed as a caged parrot by the judiciary, has been reduced to a tool unleashed by the ruling party at the Centre to fix its rivals. The Maharashtra Government has claimed that general consent was withdrawn to ensure that the Central agency was not misused for political purposes, even as it’s too much to expect the state police to go about its job without any interference. A worthwhile investigation into major cases is ruled out unless various agencies work in close coordination rather than stepping on each other’s toes. The CBI’s apparent attempt to ‘appropriate’ a case raises doubts about its credibility. Such an intervention won’t serve the cause of justice. Amid this politically motivated turf war, a free and fair probe is the prime casualty.