Within two days govt to take measures to forbid CBI from ongoing probes; chief minister to take final decision

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the government received legal advice to limit CBI from holding suo moto investigations on various cases, the state cabinet will take a final decision to forbid the agency from ongoing probes within two days. CPM sources say that the final decision should be taken by the chief minister. It was CPM state secretariat and CPI which put forward the proposal to halt CBI investigation in those cases which has been taken up by the agency sans government nod.

As the legal advice is in favour of the government, now political decision needs to be taken on the issue. Earlier in 2017, the state government has given public consent letter to CBI, giving nod to the agency to take up suo moto probe in any case. If the ban comes into effect, then the premier probe agency might have to seek the government’s consent for any probe in the future. If the government denies nod then CBI might have to approach the court.

In the legal advice given by Advocate General and Director General of Prosecution, it is said that the government need not make a special law to cancel the public consent letter given to CBI and it could be done through a cabinet decision. But if CBI seeks court’s intervention to the issue, then the government’s ban may not produce the desired effect.

The CBI investigation into life mission scandal, which prompted the government to impose a ban on the agency’s investigation, is currently under the consideration of the court. The government also thinks that if measures are taken to ban the agency at such a time when most of the cases being probed by the agency are under the court’s consideration, it would backfire.