Bengal restores general consent for CBI to investigate central government employees

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led West Bengal government on Monday restored the Central Bureau of Investigation’s “general consent” to conduct inquiries in the state, almost eight years after the previous Trinamool Congress government withdrew it, ANI reported.

In a notification issued under 1946 Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, the state government said the consent would allow the CBI to investigate offences allegedly committed by employees of the Union government, central public sector units and private persons.

However, the agency would require permission from the West Bengal government before investigating public servants controlled by the state.

The Mamata Banerjee-led government had withdrawn the “general consent” to the CBI in November 2018, alleging that the Union government was misusing central agencies for political vendetta.

Over the years, several states, mostly ruled by the Opposition, had withdrawn the CBI’s general consent, such as Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Jharkhand, Punjab, Meghalaya, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Of these, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and now West Bengal have since restored the agency’s powers.

Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.
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