TRP case among many reasons for blocking CBI: Anil Deshmukh

The Home Minister says the state will not allow any effort to undermine the ability of Mumbai or Maharashtra police in investigating matters in their jurisdiction

A day after the Maharashtra government revoked the general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) to probe matters in the state, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said the decision would be a deterrent against the agency's political masters, who want to use the central apparatus for political reasons in cases like the TRP scam and several other incidents.

Deshmukh told media persons in Mumbai on Thursday that so far many cases have been transferred to the CBI. "Recently a TRP case was registered in Maharashtra and our police are investigating it effectively. Then some complaint was registered and turned into an FIR in Uttar Pradesh, which asked the CBI to probe it. I think there was a possibility of clubbing these cases (by the CBI)," he said, adding that the state would not allow any effort to undermine the ability of Mumbai or Maharashtra police in investigating matters in their jurisdiction, because they were one of the best police forces in the world.

Deshmukh said section 6 of the Delhi Special Establishments Act empowers the state, making its consent mandatory for handing over any case to the CBI. "The general consent was given in 1989 allowing the central agency to take over any case. Now, we have withdrawn the same by issuing the order yesterday," the minister said. The revoked consent will not be retrospective and is inapplicable to the cases that are pending before the CBI.

'Thought of misuse'

"The home department issued an order on Wednesday. We thought about everything, especially the misuse of the general consent and the agency. The CBI will have to seek state government's consent before probing each and every case or matter (registered or not registered within Maharashtra)," he said.

However, the minister did not blame the CBI operatives, but targeted their political masters. "The CBI is a professional agency, but some people have been using it for political purposes. It has been debated publically and even by some Supreme Court judges who said the CBI was a 'government parrot'. We have seen recently how the agency is misused," said Deshmukh.

Sources said the TRP case was seen as a repeat of the Sushant Singh Rajput case in which an FIR was lodged in Bihar even while the Mumbai Police were probing the case in their jurisdiction. The Bihar police had come to Mumbai and later the Bihar government requested the CBI to take over the inquiry. The Maharashtra government opposed the move in the court but didn't get a verdict in its favour.

Also Read: TRP Scam: SIT adds names of two TV channels, stringent sections in FIR

'Explain the reasons'

Reacting to the decision, BJP's Mumbai legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar said the MVA government was vitiating the atmosphere by taking such steps. "The government should explain the real reasons to the people," he said.

The party's ex-MP Kirit Somaiya said the MVA leaders were afraid of inquiries. "They know that the CBI will expose their misdeeds," he said.

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