Supreme Court Confirms Jurisdiction for State Police in Bribery Cases

The Supreme Court has ruled that state police can investigate bribery and corruption cases against central government employees without prior CBI permission. This empowers state agencies alongside central bodies like CBI in handling such cases, as highlighted by a Rajasthan High Court ruling.

The Supreme Court has issued a pivotal ruling allowing state police to investigate bribery and corruption cases involving central government employees, circumventing the need for prior CBI approval. This decision was outlined in a case where the Rajasthan High Court upheld the Anti-Corruption Bureau's jurisdiction to prosecute a central employee.

Justices J B Pardiwala and Satish Chandra Sharma clarified that under the Prevention of Corruption Act, state and central agencies, including the police, can investigate offenses, specifying that officers must be of a certain rank. The ruling underscores the roles of the CBI and specific state agencies in handling corruption cases.

The decision, based on the provisions of the PC Act, confirms the capabilities of state police in cognisable offenses, reinforcing a cooperative framework between state and central investigative bodies to combat corruption.

(With inputs from agencies.)