The amendment in the new Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2018 that no police officer will conduct an enquiry or investigation into an offence committed by a public servant without prior approval from concerned agencies, has rendered the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) 'toothless'.

Former Central Information Commissioner and one of the key persons involved in drafting the National RTI act, Shailesh Gandhi, spoke to mid-day about the repercussions of the amendment, regarding which he had filed an RTI query on August 24. "The insertion of Section 17A from July 26, 2018 has effectively rendered the ACB powerless and ineffective, since it cannot even investigate cases of corruption without the government’s prior approval," said Gandhi.