A media report on 23 February said that the highest court had ruled that “Intelligence Agencies cannot be made Accountable to CAG”. Another headline said: “Supreme Court Junks Plea Seeking to Make Intelligence Agencies Accountable”. A third report said that “Putting intelligence agencies IB, RAW and NTRO under judicial scanner may ‘dent’ national security”.
The CPIL’s (Centre for Public Interest Litigation) proposal of placing intelligence agencies under the audit control of the CAG can never be accepted since these organisations work secretly to further national security interests.
Their finances should never be subjected to public audit since it would reveal the sources and method of operations. The second statement of CPIL, as reported by the media, that they are exercising “police powers” without backing of any law, is also not correct. Indian agencies have never exercised police powers – they have only supported authorities on law and order, by way of collecting intelligence to make the nation safer.