Rajya Sabha passes Bills to extend tenure of CBI, ED director to five years

Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed two bills extending the tenure of the directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to five years. The bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha on December 3, was passed by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha.

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed two Bills extending tenures of directors of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to five years. Minister of State (MoS) for Personnel Jitendra Singh moved the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in Rajya Sabha seeking to extend the tenure of the CBI director to five years.

The bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha on December 3, was passed by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha.

The MoS said that the bill will be useful for maintaining the pace of the investigation. He also said that India is facing the menace of black money, corruption, and international crime which are linked to offenses such as drug trafficking and terrorism. He also said that these pose a threat to the security and financial structure of India.

"These amendments have been brought in also because the financial action task force, which India is a member country, also expects us to improve the resources for financial crime investigation and the international crime," Singh said.

"I think, contrary to the popular impression that has gone to certain quarters, the amendment does not seek to increase the tenure rather it seeks to put an embargo on the tenure of five years. The existing law under the DSP Act provides for tenure not more than two years," he added.

Singh's speech was interrupted by opposition members who were protesting against the suspension of 12 MPs.

Earlier in the day, the Opposition parties opposed Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan's proposal for a joint debate on The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Then it was decided by the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh that the two bills will be taken separately. The latter was introduced to extend the tenure of the director of ED to five years.

Opposition MPs staged a walkout when their demand to revoke the suspension of 12 MPs was turned down. Later in the day, Singh moved The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Upper House. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha on December 9.

"Enforcement director has a very crucial role even in money laundering cases, and is possibly the only agency of its kind available in India. But for India, most of the other countries have a much longer term. And here also, the term is not being made indefinite...," Singh said.