Terming as unfortunate opposition charge of political interference in CBI's functioning, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said that police and probe agencies operated under the administrative supervision of the executive but they enjoyed complete autonomy in investigation.

He said under the Constitution, maintenance of public order, which would include prevention, detection and prosecution of offences, is the domain of the executive. He said autonomy in investigation is already guaranteed to CBI and police but if anything more needs to be done to further insulate the investigative process from external interference, Government must not hesitate to do it.

The Prime Minister said it was unfortunate that the debate on autonomy has acquired political overtones.

Dr. Singh said 'the protection of the honest' is a facet of Article 14 of the Constitution of India and is an obligation chargeable on the State. He said charge sheets must be filed after going through rigorous scrutiny.

The Prime Minister said there was a need for greater professional expertise in the CBI, including from non-police organisations. Dr. Manmohan Singh said that fact that economic growth also implies greater opportunity for corruption is often forgotten in public debates on graft.