Sovereignty Under Siege continues....

I do not know what the immediate aftermath of this event was in other government organizations, but the CBI was abuzz with the anticipation that the investigation of the case, in all likelihood, would come to it. Therefore, it was no surprise when I got a call from my immediate superior in the bureau who said, ‘Neeraj, I hope you know what is happening at the Parliament House. Why don’t you go visit the site?’ I left immediately, excited that I had been chosen to investigate such an important case, several thoughts swirling in my mind. Whom should I choose to be a part of my team? Would we succeed in cracking the case? Of course, the Intelligence Bureau and the Special Cell of the Delhi Police would be there to help us, I thought to myself.

However, these questions were fated to go unanswered. As I neared the iron gate of Sansad Bhawan on the Vijay Chowk side, a call from my boss jolted me out of my reverie. He asked me to return to headquarters.

‘Your presence at the scene of the crime may give the media the impression that the case has already been transferred

To the CBI. It will cause unnecessary confusion. So, please come back.’

I had to beat a hasty retreat and returned to the CBI headquarters with disappointment and a heavy heart.

In the Delhi Police, and possibly in other government departments as well, December is normally vacation time for most public servants as schools break for winter holidays. In a common room of the Special Cell headquarters on Lodhi Road sat several officers of the cell, trying to figure out who should proceed on leave and when to ensure that the cell had at least a few officers on duty. Suddenly, they saw the images of the terror attack on the television, much like we in the CBI had.

To be continued........