Snooping row: Pradeep Sharma moves SC for CBI inquiry into audio tapes

Adducing the transcripts of the audio tapes with various alleged conversation between Modi’s close aide Amit Shah and suspended IPS officer G LSinghal,Sharma has alleged that a number of false and frivolous cases against him were registered with a view to implicate and punish him.

The application,filed through advocate Sunil Fernandes,has stated that the surveillance was in severe violations of the Indian Telegraph Act and in absolute disregard to the guidelines laid down by the apex court.

“The said tapes/transcripts reveal a strong bias and prejudice of the State of Gujarat against the applicant herein and the State’s intent to somehow implicate the Applicant herein in criminal offences,” read the application,pointing out there were approximately 267 tapped conversations that Singhal submitted to the CBI during the investigation into Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case.

The contents of conversations,the plea said,would revealthe hostile attitude and malicious attitude of the state government and hence,the claims by the government that surveillance was done in pursuant to the request by the woman’s father must be put to judicial scrutiny.

The application pleaded for taking on record the documents and transcripts and direct the CBI to register a case and conduct a thorough investigation in to the violation of the Telegraph Act and other applicable laws by Modi,Shahand other persons.

Earlier,this week,Sharma’s counsel Prashant Bhushan had sought an urgent hearing into the case,saying “something very serious has come to light.” He referred to the audio tapes and asked the court to take note of them.

A bench led by Chief Justice P Sathasivam posted the case for final hearing in the first week of December when besides this application,the court will take up other petition filed by Sharma,seeking a CBI probe into the five cases pending against him and transfer of the trial outside the state.