Kolkata, June 8 -- The BJP government in West Bengal has reversed a key decision taken during the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime by restoring the state's "general consent" for investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

In a notification issued on Monday, the Home and Hill Affairs Department said that, in exercise of powers under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946, the state government has granted general consent to the CBI to conduct investigations in West Bengal.

The move means that the Central agency will no longer require prior permission from the state government to investigate allegations involving Central government employees within the state. However, the CBI will still have to obtain prior written approval before initiating investigations against employees of the West Bengal government.

The decision marks a significant policy shift from the position adopted by the Mamata Banerjee-led government in 2018, when West Bengal withdrew the general consent granted to the CBI. Following that move, the agency was required to seek the state's approval on a case-by-case basis before registering or pursuing investigations within its jurisdiction.

The latest notification effectively restores the earlier arrangement, giving the CBI greater operational freedom in the state in matters falling within its jurisdiction.

Despite the withdrawal of consent in 2018, the CBI continued to register FIRs and pursue investigations in several cases. The then state government challenged the agency's actions before the Supreme Court. During the proceedings, the Central government argued in an affidavit that states did not possess unfettered powers in the matter and that such authority could not be exercised in a manner that shielded accused persons or served political considerations.

West Bengal was among several non-BJP-ruled states that had withdrawn general consent to the CBI over the past decade.

Such decisions required the agency to obtain specific permission from the respective state governments before carrying out investigations within their territories.

With Monday's notification, West Bengal has rejoined the list of states where the CBI enjoys general consent to conduct investigations without seeking case-specific approval from the state government.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.