Eknath Shinde government restores general consent to CBI in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra government restored the general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe cases in the state, which the previous Uddhav Thackeray government had withdrawn this day two years ago. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde cleared the proposal of the home department under Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, an official from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) told PTI on Friday.
Why does this story matter?
- The Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) government had revoked consent to the CBI to take over cases in the state freely, alleging that the Union government was misusing central probe agencies to further its political agenda.
- It became the fourth state to issue the order after West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.
- The order came amid the brouhaha over the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
The proposal was made by Maharashta home department
Maharashtra government has reinstated general consent to CBI for investigating cases in the state: Maharashtra Home department source
— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2022
The state government's general consent was earlier withdrawn by an order of the then MVA government.
CBI governed under DSPE Act
Unlike National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has nationwide jurisdiction, CBI needs permission before beginning a probe as it is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946. Under Section 6 of the DSPE Act, the CBI needs the state government's consent to exercise its powers. Only the Union territories and railway areas fall under its default jurisdiction.
Special CBI court rejects Anil Deshmukh's bail plea
In another development on Friday, a special CBI court rejected the bail plea of former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh (73) and his personal secretary Sanjeev Palande. Deshmukh has been in jail since November 2021 when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was investigating a money laundering case. After getting bail in the case, the CBI arrested him from custody in April this year.
