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Politics
Bihar Government Revises CBI Jurisdiction Under New Criminal Laws, Keeps Consent Rule
✍️ patnapress.com
🗓 06 Sep 2026, 02:07 PM
👁 4
The Bihar government has amended the scope of the Central Bureau of Investigation's jurisdiction in line with recent criminal law reforms, while maintaining the requirement for prior state consent before investigations.
Patna, Sept 6 (Patna Press) – The Bihar state administration issued a notification today updating the jurisdictional parameters of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to align with the recently enacted criminal law reforms. The amendment expands the categories of offences that the CBI can investigate, but explicitly retains the clause that any investigation must first obtain the consent of the Bihar government.
The Home Department clarified that the decision aims to balance the enhanced investigative powers granted by the new laws with the state's interest in preserving its autonomy over law‑enforcement matters. While the central agency can now act on a broader range of cases, it cannot proceed without a formal approval from the state government.
State officials said the consent requirement will continue to be sought through a standard protocol, ensuring that the CBI’s involvement is coordinated with Bihar’s own police and legal machinery. The move has been described as a procedural safeguard rather than a restriction on the agency’s mandate.
No immediate impact on ongoing investigations was reported, and the government indicated that the revised framework will be operational from the date of the notification.
The Home Department clarified that the decision aims to balance the enhanced investigative powers granted by the new laws with the state's interest in preserving its autonomy over law‑enforcement matters. While the central agency can now act on a broader range of cases, it cannot proceed without a formal approval from the state government.
State officials said the consent requirement will continue to be sought through a standard protocol, ensuring that the CBI’s involvement is coordinated with Bihar’s own police and legal machinery. The move has been described as a procedural safeguard rather than a restriction on the agency’s mandate.
No immediate impact on ongoing investigations was reported, and the government indicated that the revised framework will be operational from the date of the notification.