After WB and AP, Chhattisgarh withdraws general consent to CBI to probe cases

After West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, Congress-led Chhattisgarh too has withdrawn general consent accorded to the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe cases in the state, officials said on Thursday.

The move comes on a day when a Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led panel removed Alok Verma as the CBI chief and posted him as Director General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards after an enquiry report by the Central Vigilance Commission accused him of corruption.

Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel headed state government has written to the Union home ministry and the ministry of rersonnel asking them to direct the CBI not to register fresh cases in the state, the officials said citing an official statement.

With this, the Central Bureau of Investigation would now require permission of the state government to conduct raids and probe in Chhattisgarh, they said.

The Chhattisgarh government in 2001 had given general permission to the CBI, the officials said.

West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh governments had late last year withdrawn the general consent accorded to the CBI to conduct probe and raids in the states.

The withdrawal of general consent will not have any impact on the cases already being probed by the CBI, a personnel ministry official in Delhi said.