A division bench of Calcutta High Court on Friday stayed the order of the court’s single bench that had allowed the CBI to continue its probe against Anup Majhi alias Lala and others in an illegal coal mining case only after taking the approval of the state government.

Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya had in his order on February 3 said the CBI would have to take prior permission of the Bengal government to conduct any probe against any person beyond the railway jurisdiction of Asansol.

Justice Bhattacharya had issued the order in response to Majhi’s plea challenging the CBI’s power to investigate affairs beyond the railway jurisdiction of Asansol.

Since the order of the high court’s single bench had forced the CBI to restrict its proceedings, the CBI had moved the division bench against the verdict.

The division bench comprising Justice Rajesh Dindal and Justice Aniruddha Roy stayed the order of the single bench and ruled that the CBI would have liberty to initiate proceedings against any person beyond the railway jurisdiction of Asansol without obtaining approval from the state government.

The CBI had issued summons against Majhi, a coal trader of Asansol, accusing him of his involvement in the coal smuggling case.