VIJAYAWADA:The withdrawal of ‘general consent’ to central agencies for conducting raids or investigation into serious cases of corruption or crime in Andhra Pradesh may result in delay of probe into crucial cases relating to financial irregularities, benami transactions and even hijacking of aircraft.The procedural wrangling may even work in favour of the accused, legal experts fear.Home minister N Chinarajappa on Friday said CBI and other central agencies should approach the state government for permission before proceeding with the raids or investigation.“We have withdrawn the general consent, and the state government will accord permission on case-to-case basis. Karnataka has already withdrawn the general consent,” Rajappa said, adding that the move is not aimed at curtailing the freedom of central investigation agencies.“The CBI can probe central government employees without the state’s consent,” Rajappa said. The government was forced to withdraw the consent in view of aspersions cast on the CBI, the home minister said.Thanks to the withdrawal of the GO Ms No 109 dated August 3, 2018, central agencies now cannot investigate investigation into offences punishable under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, IPC and 63 different central Acts.The central agencies are also barred from investigating attempts, abetment and criminal conspiracies in relation to the above Acts.Some of the IPC Sections for which “general consent” was withdrawn relate to waging, or attempting to wage war , or abetting waging of war, against the Government of India, and defamation. The offence for waging war is punishable with death.

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