BJP-ruled Bihar has clipped Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) powers in the state as the central probing agency will now have to seek the government's permission before probing public servants. Walking back on CBI probes, the state government has asserted that prior consent shall be "mandatory" for the agency to probe offences allegedly involving public servants in the state. However, the government dismissed reports that it had taken an adversarial stance with regard to CBI probe adding the primary objective of the notification was not to introduce any changes in the existing system. A Home Department notification dated September 3 stated the new rule which is to be "in supersession of all previous notifications on this subject", PTI reported. As the issue highlighted, the police headquarters came out with a statement clarifying that the "primary objective of the notification was not to introduce any changes in the existing system". It also described as "misleading and baseless" reports in a section of the media that claimed that the BJP government in Bihar has adopted an adversarial stance. "The governor of Bihar hereby accords consent to extension of the powers and jurisdiction of members of Delhi Police Special Establishment throughout the state... for the investigation of offences..... allegedly committed by employees of the Government of India, Public Sector Undertakings and private individuals under direct control of Government of India", the Department notification had said. The CBI is a non-statutory body that derives its powers from the Delhi Police Special Establishment Act, 1946. The department notification added that it shall be "mandatory to obtain the prior consent of the Government of Bihar" in cases where the offences "involve public servants... or persons appointed in connection with the affairs of any corporation, company or bank owned and controlled by the Government of Bihar or any institution receiving or having received financial assistance from the Government of Bihar". Upon receipt of a proposal from the members of the Delhi Police Special Establishment, the state government shall consider and decide on the matter of granting investigation powers on a case-to-case basis, the notification added. Meanwhile, the police headquarters came out with a statement that the CBI's investigative powers have been regulated from time to time through such regulations. "The last time such a notification was issued was in 1996", the statement pointed out, adding that the latest notification expanded the scope of the consent, bringing under its ambit newer laws like BNS, BNSS, the revised Evidence Act and IT Act. "The intent was to help the existing provisions remain in force effectively and not to introduce any new ones. Dissemination of this information in a manner that is contrary to the intent is misleading and baseless", added the statement. Shashwat Bhandari is the Associate Editor at Times Now. With 14 years of experience in the news and media industry, he understands the responsibility ... View More