Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Tuesday said the CBI should be accorded statutory status on a par with the Comptroller and Auditor General of India to protect it from extraneous influence and make it truly independent.

Delivering the D.P. Kohli Memorial lecture, CJI Gogoi said that “in a number of high-profile and politically sensitive cases, the agency has not been able to meet the standards of judicial scrutiny”.

“Efforts must be made to delink crucial aspects of the CBI from the overall administrative control of the government. The CBI should be given statutory status through legislation equivalent to that provided to the Comptroller and Auditor General,” he said.

“The legal mandate of the CBI must be strengthened by having a comprehensive legislation addressing deficiencies…,” Justice Gogoi said.

The CJI added: “Administrative autonomy without financial autonomy makes for a toothless tiger. A persistent demand of the agency has pertained to securing of its financial autonomy.”

Justice Gogoi also pitched for accountability.