CBI takes over cases registered by Andhra Pradesh ACB

The CBI has taken over cases registered by Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau related to central government departments during the tenure of former chief minister Chandra Babu Naidu, who had withdrawn general permission to the agency to operate in the state without his nod, officials said Tuesday.

After coming to power, Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on June 6, 2019 had reversed the November 8, 2018 order of the previous Naidu government which had restricted the operations of the agency in the state.

The state has now referred six cases registered by its ACB against officials of central government during the period November 8, 2018 to June 6, 2019, they said.

Two cases of alleged demand of bribe by officials of Income Tax department, another two pertaining to misappropriation of funds by Syndicate bank officials, and one each related to demand of bribe by officials of CGST department and Naval Dock Yard, they said.

The agency has already registered at least one FIR in the matter of bribery in CGST department, they said. The CBI functions under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act.

Under Section 6 of the Act, a state government "routinely" grants consent to the CBI for exercising its authority in the state and the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh government under Naidu, too, had issued relevant orders periodically.

Ever since he had snapped ties with the Narendra Modi-led NDA government in March, 2018, Naidu had alleged that the Centre misused agencies like the CBI to target political opponents resulting in withdrawal of general consent to the agency.