NEW DELHI. Mar 2: Indian opposition leaders today said a Supreme Court order taking away Prime Minister PV Naraslniha Rao's control over a federal agency probing a bribery scandal proved he was not above suspicion, report $ AFP

"It amounts to the opinion that the prime minister'* involvement in the case needs to be Investigated and that the Central Bureau of Ihvestigation (CBI) must proceed against him." said Jaswant Singh, a leader of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian Peoples Party. BJP).

Ram Vilas Paswan. secretary-general of the centrist Janata Dal (People's Party) said the "stricture" Indicated the court's "doubts about the Impartiality of the prime minister under whom the CBI function*.

"Not only in the corruption case but for ail time to come the CBI should be free from executive control." he added.

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the CBI not to take instructions' from Rap. who oversees the organisation, or disclose details of the case to any other body.

The CBI shall take no Instructions or furnish any particulars of the case to any authority interested or likely to be affected by the outcome of the probe." officials quoted a three-Judge panel a* saying.

Judges JS Verma. SP Bharucha and SC Sen while

hearing a petition on the scandal liberated the CBI from 'overall administrative control" of Rao, who holds the key de- ' partment among some 13 portfolios.

"This step is to eliminate any impression of bias and avoid erosion of credibility of the investigations by the CBI. and also any reasonable im-pression of lack of fairness and

objectivity on the part of the < Bl."

The main accused in the 21-million-dollar scandal. New Delhi-based businessman Surendra Jain has alleged paying Rao about 35 million rupees — a charge the prime minister and his Congress(I) Party deny.

Rao late Friday denied any interference in the investigation and said implicated Congressmen would be allowed to contest upcoming polls since charges alone did not prove their guilt.

"We have no business to interfere in the course of low... we have not deviated from this one millimetre at any time anywhere." he said.

Jain irf accused of paying 1 15 top bureaucrats and politicians between 1988 and 199 J. The scandal erupted four years ago when a raid on Jain's plush country retreat near Delhi unearthed two diaries listing the payments in code. •

Civil rights activist Vineet Narain, one of the main petitioners demanding a speedy and fair Investigation said the CBI had always been subject to government pressure.

Co-petitioncr and veteran (ournaiist Raj Inder Purl said 'delay's full ng proved that "Rao .had obviously Impinged on the case since things started moving only at the prodding ol the Supreme Court."