The Karnataka government has withdrawn the general consent previously granted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), gearing up its grievances against the investigative agency in the centre over alleged bias. The move was declared on Thursday by Karnataka’s state Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs HK Pattil, in which Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired a state cabinet meeting. Patil also said that under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act of 1946, the general consent of the CBI to investigate cases within the state was withdrawn by the government some time back.
The CBI is restricted by Indian law for it to operate in a particular state; it has to seek approval from the government of the state in question. The general consent withdrawal by the Karnataka government provides a greater restriction on the CBI since investigating cases in the state is now curtailed in terms of the centre’s autonomy. However, as before, the state will allow permissions on a case-by-case mechanism where deemed proper. Patil stressed that this decision was taken because CBI, controlled by the central government, does not exercise its authority properly. Concerns over misuse of the agency were also expressed by Patil, who said, ‘‘It is more apparent that the CBI or the central government, while using their instrumentalities, are not doing it impartially.’’
He sought to clear the impression that it had nothing to do with protecting the chief minister from the ongoing Mysuru Urban Development Authority MUDA case. He also dismissed rumours, if any, associating withdrawal of consent with the protection of the CM, who is already under a court order for a Lokayukta probe.
The minister said that the CBI had dealt poorly with several cases in the state by delaying chargesheets and failing to file them at all. Every day and night, there is a complaint being made that CBI is being abused. “In many of the cases either that the state government had referred to the CBI or the cases which the agency had taken up on its own, chargesheets were not filed”.
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