The Madhya Pradesh government has said the Central Bureau of Investigation would require its written consent to initiate inquiries against state officials, reported Hindustan Times on Thursday.

The agency, however, will not need permission to investigate central government employees or private individuals in the state. A notification in this regard was reportedly published on July 16 and came into effect retrospectively from July 1.

The Central Bureau of Investigation is governed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. Section 6 of the Act requires the central agency to seek consent from a state government to conduct an investigation in its jurisdiction.

This consent can be either case-specific or general. Without general consent, the Central Bureau of Investigation is required to approach the state government on a case-to-case basis and seek permission before conducting any inquiry.

Previously, several Opposition-ruled states like, including West Bengal, Kerala and Punjab, have withdrawn their general consent to the central agency.

Madhya Pradesh, however, has not withdrawn general consent, as the July 16 notification only pertains to “public servants controlled by the Madhya Pradesh Government”, reported The Indian Express.

The order states: “All previous general consent for any other offences and any consent given by the state government on a case-by-case basis for any other offence will also continue to apply.”