The Congress government in Karnataka on Thursday withdrew general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct investigations in the state, PTI reported.
The state government had earlier granted the central agency permission to openly conduct criminal investigations in the state under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. The Central Bureau of Investigation would now require written consent from the state government to carry out inquiries.
The decision to withdraw permission came a day after a special court ordered a Lokayukta police investigation against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in connection with the alleged Mysore Urban Development Authority scam.
On Thursday, state Law Minister HK Patil said that the “notification granting general consent for CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] to probe criminal cases in Karnataka state, under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, has been withdrawn”, according to PTI.
Patil, who made the announcement after a meeting of the state Cabinet, expressed concern about the “misuse” of the central agency. “In all the cases we have referred to the CBI, they have not filed chargesheets, leaving many cases pending,” he said, ANI reported.
Patil claimed that the central agency had also refused to investigate several cases sent by the state government. “They are biased,” he said. “That’s why we are taking the decision.”
He said that permission would be granted to the Central Bureau of Investigation on a case-by-case basis.
The minister added that the decision was not taken because of the Mysore Urban Development Authority case. “We have taken this decision to control them [CBI] from taking the wrong path.”
The allegations against Siddaramaiah pertain to the allotment of 14 high-value housing sites in Mysuru’s Vijaynagar area to his wife, Parvathi, in 2021 by the Mysore Urban Development Authority under a state government scheme.
This was allegedly done in exchange for 3.16 acres of land that Parvathi owned in another part of the city. The land was allegedly illegally acquired from Dalit families.
On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court upheld the sanction granted by Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to prosecute Siddaramaiah in the matter.
With Thursday’s decision, Karnataka joins other states, including the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led Tamil Nadu and the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Kerala, that have revoked open consent for the central agency to conduct probes.
Several Opposition parties have accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of weaponising central agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to file politically-motivated cases against their leaders.
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