After Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, CBI barred from investigating any case in Chhattisgarh

All the three states are ruled by opposition parties and have accused the central agency of acting at the bidding of the Centre, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power.

Updated on: Jan 11, 2019, 09:23:34 IST

Hindustan Times | By Ritesh Mishra

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After Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, the Congress government in Chhattisgarh on Thursday withdrew the general consent accorded to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe cases in the state.

All the three states are ruled by opposition parties and have accused the central agency of acting at the bidding of the Centre, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in power.

CBI comes under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act and it requires states to give the agency a general consent to act against central government employees within the state as public order and police are under the purview of state governments.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel wrote to the Union home ministry in this regard on Thursday.

“First of all in the last few months, the Union government has put the role of CBI under question and hence it will not be correct for us to allow CBI to continue arbitrariness in our state. Secondly, CBI is misusing the federal structure and affecting the law and order in the state,” Baghel said.

“By this order, CBI’s movement in the state is not prohibited but the agency will have to take permission before any operations or raids in Chhattisgarh,” Baghel said.

The Chhattisgarh government had given general permission to the CBI in 2001. The central probe agency will now require the permission of the state government to raid or to probe any fresh case in the state.

The decision of the state government came on a day a high-level selection committee comprising Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed CBI’s chief Alok Verma. It was taken after more than a two-hour-long meeting of the panel, which comprises chief justice of India and leader of largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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