The Central Bureau of Investigation today came under a scathing attack from a Delhi court which directed it to return documents sought by the Delhi government seized during recent raids on the office of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's principal secretary, saying the agency 'cannot be clothed with divine powers' to flout its own rules.

"The CBI cannot retain the documents in the garb of the argument that investigation is in progress without whispering the fact in what manner they are related to the present case (against principal secretary Rajendra Kumar)," Special CBI Judge Ajay Kumar Jain said.

"The acceptance of vague reasons like investigation is still in progress implies that CBI is recognised with unbridled power to investigate even in violation of the relevant laws and regulations," he said.

"The seizure of the present documents in question is in utter violation to the clause 14.19 of the CBI manual. Needless to say, clauses of CBI manual are binding upon the CBI," the judge said.

Directing the agency to return the documents as sought by the Delhi government, he said 'any recognition of absolute immunity and unlimited powers will tantamount to recognition of divine power which no authority on earth can enjoy. The CBI cannot be clothed with divine powers'.

The court said that the CBI manual is binding upon the agency and in the garb of argument that the investigation is in progress, it cannot seize documents which are not related to the case.

The judge said if the CBI is not able to disclose the reason why they want to retain these documents, then they have no right to keep them.