Karnataka Cabinet Withdraws Open Consent to CBI

Bengaluru: In order to exercise control over Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from taking the wrong path in its investigation, the Karnataka cabinet meeting on Thursday withdrew its notification to allow open consent for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate criminal cases.

Hereafter, the State Government will scrutinize case by case before a decision is made on handing over a case to sleuths of CBI. Earlier, under the Delhi Police Establishment Act, of 1946, the CBI was given open consent to investigate criminal cases in Karnataka.

After the cabinet meeting, Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil stated the decision of the cabinet meeting is to control CBI investigation from going in the wrong path. However, he made it clear that if the High Court or Supreme Court decided to hand over a particular case to the CBI, then the cabinet decision makes no difference at all.

The decision of the cabinet is to control CBI, an agency of the Central Government, from inciting fear in the minds of the people (leaders), Patil said and stated the move to withdraw open consent for CBI in Karnataka would be a step to strengthen the federal system of the country.

“In the last two years, CBI has been biased in its functioning. It has been observed that CBI during the conduct of elections enquired office-bearers of a particular political party,” he said.

The withdrawal of open consent to CBI is also over concerns that day by day the central agency has been misused by the Union Government in several cases, he said.

He said in a couple of cases handed over to sleuths of CBI by the State Government, CBI refused to file a charge sheet and also refused to conduct a probe but he did not reveal the cases refused by the CBI to investigate or file a charge sheet.

In reply to a query whether the decision is to shield Chief Minister Siddaramaiah against whom Special Court for People’s Representatives, Bengaluru ordered for a Lokayukta investigation into alleged plot allotment irregularities by Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) in Mysuru city, Patil said at this juncture the question does not arise at all since Lokayukta police have been asked to investigate the MUDA case.