Amitha Muraleedharan
The Punjab government has recently withdrawn the general consent accorded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct investigations.
CBI will now need to seek permission from the state government for investigation within the state.
Under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, all the states except Delhi and the union territories at their discretion can give their consent to the probe in the respective state.
Recently, Jharkhand and Kerala had issued a similar notification to withdraw the general consent to CBI.
Maharashtra government had revoked its consent for CBI investigation. Similarly, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh had earlier withdrawn its general consent.
Whereas the Andhra Pradesh government had withdrawn the general consent for CBI probe in 2018. However, Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy had restored the consent last year.
The order stated:
“In exercise of the powers conferred by section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 (Central Act No. 25 of 1946), the Government of Punjab hereby withdraws the general consent accorded to the members of the Delhi Special Police Establishment, anytime herein before.”
“In view of revocation of all previous general consents issued earlier, prior consent of the Government of Punjab shall be required, hereinafter, , on a case-to-case basis for investigation of any offence or class of offences under section 3 of the aforesaid Act, by the Delhi Special Police Establishment,” the notification states.”
Punjab became the ninth state to revoke its general consent for CBI probe.