The Supreme Court held that objections regarding the CBI's lack of state consent under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, must be raised at the earliest stage, usually right after the FIR is registered. It clarified that once the investigation is complete, a chargesheet is filed, and a magistrate takes cognizance, such objections cannot be used belatedly to invalidate the proceedings, except where a quashing petition was already pending before cognizance was taken.

“We say so for the reasons that lack of consent under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 ought to have been raised soon after registration of FIR. Once the investigation is complete, chargesheet has been filed and the court of competent jurisdiction has taken cognizance, no

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