Jharkhand has become the seventh state not governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to withdraw the blanket consent allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct investigations in the states. Here’s a look at why it happened and what it means:
1. Ongoing CBI investigations will not be affected, but the federal agency cannot investigate new cases in these seven states.
2. The agency has not been able to register any cases at its Mumbai branch since the Maharashtra government, led by Shiv Sena, withdrew blanket consent on October 21. Typically, three to four cases related to bank corruption or fraud were recorded in Mumbai Unit every month. After New Delhi, Mumbai accounts for the majority of CBI cases registered annually.
3. The Maharashtra government decision came when the CBI took over the investigation into alleged tampering with Television Rating Point (TRP) based on a case recorded in Lucknow when the Mumbai police were investigating the matter. The state government believes that the Center was using the agency to evade local police investigations, especially in cases involving the actor in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput and the TRP scam.
4. Other states not governed by the BJP that have withdrawn consent have accused the Center of using the agency for political revenge. They are West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala.
5. The IWC expects the higher courts and the Supreme Court to intervene as the evidence is likely to be tempered by corruption cases in the absence of case registration and subsequent raids.
6. Withdrawal of consent is unprecedented, but never have so many states withdrew consent from the federal investigative agency.
7. According to the Delhi Special Police Establishment Law governing the IWC, the agency requires prior consent to exercise its authority in the states.
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