New Delhi:
Former CBI Director US Mishra, who got into a lot of trouble for questioning the autonomy of the investigating agency, told NDTV today that he faced pressure when he was probing former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati in the disproportionate assets case.
Mr Mishra was responding to NDTV's question on the Supreme Court's directive for the CBI to continue the probe against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh, who is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Mr Mishra told NDTV that it was possible that the CBI could again face pressure while investigating the Yadavs.
"The fact remains - I won't hide it - that when we investigate cases against prominent political leaders, there are some influences to keep the progress report pending or present in a certain way," Mr Mishra told NDTV today.
The former CBI chief also supported the Supreme Court's decision not to probe Akhilesh Yadav's wife, Dimple, as she does not hold a public office. Drawing parallel to the case against Mayawati, Mr Mishra, however, clarified that if assets owned by Dimple were found linked to those of her husband's or father-in-law's, the CBI was free to indict her.
"This is what happened in Mayawati's case. We found money in the accounts of her father and mother where they had no such source of such income," Mr Mishra told NDTV.
Mr Mishra, who was the CBI chief from 2003 to 2005, also welcomed the fact that the CBI will not have to submit a status report in the probe against the Yadavs either to the court or the government.