UP CM Yogi asks the home department to draft a new legislation.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath aims at strengthening the state’s ‘special investigations’ team. He has directed this to the home department to draft the new legislation. This law would give the criminal investigation unit the state powers enjoyed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CM has ordered the Home Ministry of the state to work on the draft. A draft of the law named ‘UP Special Police Establishment Act’. This idea was taken from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act., a law that governs the CBI.
In the current scenario, the state’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) is governed by the Director-General of Police-Level Officer. To know how this would change and the results of the new law will be known only after the drafting, formation, implementation, and working of the law.
The state SIT is mandated to investigate corruption allegations. This is against the misuse of powers by influential people, high officials, and public servants who indulge in the economic offenses of a serious nature.
CBI is one of the earliest formed agencies and is the only federal agency mandated to investigate corruption allegations. It holds the power to investigate Central government employees as well.
Experts of the state claim that the state’s step is one of its kind in the country of India. Other states only have units that backup police units but do not govern them. A similar agency is present in UP, the UP Special Security Force (UPSSF). Other state-owned and run units are the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSCC) and the Odisha Industrial Security Force (OISF).
The state also owns a security force, Special Security Force or the SSF. It is governed by the Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force Act, 2020. It has the power to arrest without a warrant. The powers are alike the Central Industrial Special Force (CISF). It is meant for the protection of courts, metro, industrial units, airports, banks, places of worship, and individuals.
Similar law called the Special Police Establishment was set up in the colonial era, in 1941. It investigated the allegations of corruption in war-related crimes. The law, then, came under the Delhi Special Establishment in the year 1946.
Whereas the CBI in its present form came into establishment in 1963. It then investigated serious crimes; crimes like corruption, black-marketing, embezzlement, and many other social crimes.
Published by: Diwakar Kumar
Edited by: Aaradhana Singh
