2,000 Plus CBI Cases Pending Over A Decade!

New Delhi, Sep 2 (UNI) As many as 2,123 cases probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation ''are pending trial'' for over ten years, 648 of them ''over twenty years,'' Parliament has been told.

At least another nine cases against ex-Chief Ministers, ex-Union Ministers and ex-Union Ministers of State are under CBI investigation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in written replies in the Rajya Sabha this week.

He was answering questions raised by Bharatiya Janata Party nominated member Hema Malini and Samajwadi Party member from Uttar Pradesh Abu Asim Azmi.

Hema Malini asked whether the authorities were taking time-bound steps to clear the pending cases, especially as more cases keep coming up every day.

Dr Singh replied that the government has set up 39 Courts of Special Judges in various states exclusively for the trial of CBI cases.

The Prime Minister said that the CBI tries through constant monitoring or supervision to ensure there is no delay in trial on its part.

Azmi wanted to know when the cases against former Ministers will be sent to trial courts and the reasons for delay.

Dr Singh said five of the nine cases were under investigation for less than a year, one case for more than a year and three cases for more than two years.

He said the CBI tries to ensure ''expeditious completion'' of investigation in all cases, but it takes time to scrutinise voluminous documents, examine large number of witnesses, conduct extensive inquiries and obtain expert opinion to establish allegations.

''No definite time frame can be stipulated for completion'' of the investigation or inquiry, he held.

UNI