Why can't NIA have a Chief with fixed tenure, asks Congress

New Delhi, Aug 21 : The Congress on Monday noted that the Narendra Modi government has not been able to find a single competent officer to be posted as chief of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and asked why can't the agency have a fixed tenure for its head.

Asked about the role of NIA in the trial of 2008 Malegaon blast whose prime accused Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit was granted bail by the Supreme Court on Monday, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said: "We are not in the business of speculating about motives. That is not what responsible political parties do.

"However, going back to the Jain Hawala Case, the Supreme Court had underscored that people who had investigated, be it the CBI or agencies like the Central Vigilance Commission, their heads should have a fixed tenure so that we can work free of any fear or any passion."

"It is surprising that this government has not been able to find a single competent officer to head the NIA. These repeated extensions have been frowned upon by the Supreme Court," he said, terming the government's action a "flagrant violation of the law laid down by the apex court".

"The government needs to answer that why can't the NIA has a head who has the fixed tenure," he added.

On the bail to Purohit, Tewari said that this measure was "neither an adjudication of innocence nor a finding of guilt".

Seven persons were killed in the 2008 blasts in the Muslim-majority Maharashtra textile town.