New Delhi, Jan 15
Over a year after the scuffle between the top brass of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the probe agency is all set for a major reshuffle with a number of senior officers to be transferred, sources said on Wednesday.

"The reshuffle of senior officials will be visible in the agency in the next couple of weeks," a senior CBI source related to the development told IANS.

He said that the agency has prepared a list of the officers of the Joint Director and the Deputy Inspector General of Police levels, who have been at the same post in the agency for years.

Another CBI source said that the transfers are part of a "routine" exercise as laid down by the government. He said that no officer is being "targeted" in the transfer and its a complete "fair" exercise.

In the last few weeks, the CBI has transferred officers at the level of the Superintendent of Police, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Inspectors and Sub Inspectors, who were on the same post for last couple of years.

The source further said that a team led by Assistant Director Praveen Sinha is working on upgrading CBI's crime manual as per the recommendations of CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla.

According to the source, the new crime manual will now include important changes such as those in the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Criminal Procedure Code, which were both amended in 2018. It will also lay heavy focus on cyber crimes, which the agency said, have grown by leaps and bounds since the manual was last re-drafted in 2005.

At the same time, the manual will also lay down procedures for the agency to engage with other law enforcement agencies and increase coordination to iron out any problems in its investigation. The source said that the new crime manual will also lay down how the CBI will better engage with international law enforcement agencies, as the crimes were becoming international in nature with information sharing becoming imperative between the CBI and other agencies.

In October 2018, the battle between then Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana became public, leading the government to intervene in the matter and transfer both the officers out from the agency.

CBI set for major rejig, officers long at same posts to be shifted