Thiruvananthapuram: From now on, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will have to seek prior permission from the Kerala government before registering a case in the state.
Kerala on Wednesday joined the list of non-BJP-ruled states of West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra to withdraw its general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The decision, which was on the table for quite some time, was finalised in the Cabinet meeting, Hindustan Times (HT) reported.
Before Kerala, Maharashtra’s Maha Vikas Aghadi government had decided to block the CBI in the state. The decision was announced a day after CBI decided to investigate the TRP scam in Maharashtra.
The CBI is currently probing into ‘Life Mission’, a Kerala state housing project for the homeless for alleged irregularities. In October, the Kerala high court stayed CBI investigation considering a plea by the state government.
CBI comes under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act. It requires states to give the agency a general consent to act against central government employees within a state as public order and police come under the state governments, which routinely renew this permission, HT reported.