Maha set to give general nod for CBI to probe cases

Maharashtra will soon restore general consent to CBI to investigate routine cases in the state without seeking the state's nod for probing each individual case. The home department's proposal is expected to be cleared by the state Cabinet in a week or just after the assembly session ends.

The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi government had withdrawn general consent given to CBI to probe cases in October 2020. A decision to have CBI investigate cases was taken last week in a one-on-one meeting between chief minister Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis, sources in the government said.

The development comes in the backdrop of several BJP leaders claiming that cases of corruption would be opened against senior opposition leaders, especially Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders like Ajit Pawar. A senior BJP leader claimed this week that a list of ten top NCP leaders would be given to CBI and Enforcement Directorate to probe scams involving them.

Other than political cases, the federal agencies' probes against some companies were put in abeyance due to want of general consent, sources told ET. In Maharashtra alone, complaints given by public sector banks (PSBs) of fraud caused over '40,000 crore were delayed due to lack of general consent, they said.

CBI, during a preliminary enquiry into investments by in Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) companies, has found evidence for a case of corruption and misuse of office against the arrested cofounder of the lender, Rana Kapoor, people aware of the development said.

According to the probe report, filing of FIRs has been recommended against Kapoor, entities linked to him, and certain ADAG companies, namely Reliance Commercial Finance Ltd (RCFL) and (RHFL). But due to the withdrawal of general consent by the state government, the agency has sought legal advice to pursue the case, sources said. RCFL is a subsidiary of .

Another case pertains to ' erstwhile promoter Naresh Goyal and his aides for allegedly defrauding banks and misappropriating loans sanctioned by them. An internal preliminary enquiry found that the allegations are prima facie true, people aware of the development said.