The Bengal government on Monday restored general consent for CBI investigation in matters relating to employees of the central government and central public sector undertakings (CPSUs), officials said.
In a notification issued on Monday, the Home and Hill Affairs Department said in pursuance of Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, the Bengal government hereby "gives its consent to the extension of powers and jurisdiction of the members of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (CBI) in the state for investigation in offences alleged to have been committed by employees of the Central Government, Central Public Sector Undertakings and Private persons (whether acting separately or in conjunction with the employees of Central Government and Central Government Undertakings)".
The CBI operates under the DSPE Act which mandates prior consent of the state government before exercising its powers and investigating crimes within that state's territorial boundaries.
The consent can be general which allows the CBI to probe any case against central government employees committed in its territory or specific which pertains to consent in specific cases, they said.
The notification said the consent is subject to the condition that no such investigation shall be taken up in cases relating to the public servants controlled by the Bengal government except with the prior written permission of the state government.
"All previous general consent for any other offences and consent accorded on case to case basis for any other offence by the State Government shall also remain in force. This notification shall come into force with immediate effect," it said.
The erstwhile Trinamool Congress government in Bengal withdrew the 'general consent' accorded to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in the state in November, 2018.
The general consent, accorded to the CBI by the then Left Front government in 1989, enabled the central agency to conduct any investigation against central government and CPSU employees without taking separate permission from the state government.
