Raipur: Amid the ongoing power tussle in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Chhattisgarh Government has withdrawn general consent granted to CBI to investigate cases in the state.
Home Department in the state sent a letter to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions on Thursday apprising it of the decision. The Home Department in this letter informed about withdrawing general consent given to the Centre in this regard in the year 2001.
On the basis of general consent granted in 2001, the Union Home Ministry had issued notification, authorising CBI to probe cases in Chhattisgarh.
State government in its letter asked the Centre to issue direction to the CBI for not taking up any new case for probe in the state. According to the information available, CBI cannot carry out any investigation in Chhattisgarh without permission of the state government. However, this will not affect the cases that are already under CBI investigation.
Chhattisgarh has now become the third state to be barring CBI from investigating. Earlier Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal withdrew general consent granted to CBI to probe cases.
According to sources, the decision to withdraw general consent to CBI was taken in view of the ongoing tussle within CBI and abrupt removal of its chief.
Justifying this step of state government, the Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that central government put credibility of CBI at stake within few months. In view of this, it would not be proper to allow CBI to arbitrarily carry out investigation in the state, he added.(UNI)