The annual report released by the Central Vigilance Commission revealed as many as 6,841 corruption cases probed by the CBI were sending trials in different courts, with some for more than 20 years.
CVC reports over 6,800 corruption cases probed by the CBI as pending trials in different courts, with 313 pending for more than 20 years. As per the recently released annual report, as on December 31, 2022, 2039 of the total cases were pending trials for more than 10 years and up to 20 years, 2,324 cases for over five years and up to 10 years, 842 for more than three years and up to five years and 1,323 for less than three years.
"The Commission took note of the large number of cases pending trial in different courts. It was observed that as on 31.12.2022, 6,841 number of cases were pending trial, out of which 313 number of cases were pending (trial) for more than 20 years," the report said.
Additionally, a total of 12,408 appeals and revisions in the corruption cases were pending in high courts and the Supreme Court, in which 417 of them for more than 20 years. 688 such appeals and revisions were also pending for "more than 15 years but less than 20 years", 2,314 for "more than 10 but less than 15 years", 4,005 for "more than five but less than 10 years", 2,881 for "more than two but but less than five years" and 2,103 for "less than two years"
The report further outlined 692 cases were pending probe by the CBI, out of which 42 have been on a standstill for more than five years.
Usually, the CBI is expected to complete an investigation within a year of registration of a case, however, 60 cases were pending probe "more than three years but less than five years", 79 for "more than two years but less than three years", 138 for "more than one year but less than two years" and 373 for "less than one year", said the report released recently.
Moreover, there were 52 cases of departmental action pending against ‘Group A’ officers of the CBI themselves.
The report listed reasons for delays as- “delay in investigation due to excessive work", "inadequacy of manpower", "delay in obtaining responses to Letters Rogatory (LRs)" and "time taken in locating and examining witnesses living in distant places”, among others. The CVC oversees the work of the CBI related to investigations conducted under the Prevention of Corruption Act.