New Delhi (ILNS): After Maharashtra withdrew the general consent to the CBI to probe cases in the state on October 21, the Kerala Government has followed the suit and has become yet another state to withdraw the general consent to the probe agency.
Yesterday, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) led government revoked the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and this came at a time when the CBI was probing various alleged irregularities in its ambitious LIFE Mission project, which is a housing initiative for the poor. This decision was taken in the cabinet meeting held on November 4.
The leader of the opposition Ramesh Chennithala had alleged in August that Swapna Suresh, the main accused in the gold smuggling case, had admitted before the NIA court that she received a commission of Rs 1 crore from the project.
The CBI had named LIFE Mission in the case of an alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). Last month, the left-ruled state rushed to the high court to quash a CBI probe of Life Mission. Thereafter, on October 13, the Kerala High Court had stayed for two months the CBI probe into alleged irregularities, including of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, in Life Mission, a state housing project envisaging total housing for the homeless.
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With this Kerala at the moment has become the fourth state after Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Rajasthan to withdraw the general consent accorded to the CBI to exercise its powers under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DPSE) Act.
-India Legal Bureau