Tamil Nadu withdraws general consent to CBI to probe cases, 10th state to do so

The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn general consent given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate cases in the state, ANI reported. The South Indian state has become the 10th state to do so. CBI will now have to take the state government's permission to undertake an investigation in the state and against its residents.

Other nine states who have already withdrawn the general consent to CBI are -- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal. The decision comes hours after its Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji's arrest by the central agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

After his formal arrest at around 1.30 am on Wednesday, the DMK leader complained of chest pain and was admitted to a government hospital, where he was advised to undergo a bypass surgery at the 'earliest.' He later moved a city court seeking permission to be shifted to a private hospital here for further treatment and also applied for interim bail. Balaji was arrested after a long session of questioning, official sources said.

A local court later sent him to judicial custody till June 28. The court also reserved orders on the minister's plea for interim bail and permission to be shifted to a private hospital, besides the ED's prayer that sought police custody of Balaji.

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