Super cops caught and bowled — Prabhakar secretly taped CBI interrogation

The cassette is in the custody of Madhavan, who is camping at Delhi’s Taj Mansingh hotel. He confirmed that Prabhakar, whom he indicted in his report, smuggled a small camera inside the CBI office at CGO complex where he was interrogated for over three hours. Prabhakar recorded the entire grilling session and then handed over the cassette to Madhavan. Madhavan indicted Prabhakar for having links with bookies.

Prabhakar refused to comment. “I don’t want to say anything about it just now,” he said.

Refusing to elaborate on the contents of the tape, Madhavan told The Indian Express, “I don’t know what was the purpose of his handing over the cassette to me.” Prabhakar simply handed over the cassette to Madhavan and insisted that he view it. “I had to see it. There was normal questioning going on,” said Madhavan.

Prabhakar had earlier recorded his conversations — using the hidden camera — with former cricketers, managers and BCCI officials, and handed them over to the CBI, in the hope of nailing Kapil Dev who he alleged had offered him money to tank a match.

“The tape is of no consequence. It is neither going to help Prabhakar nor put CBI in the dock. CBI already has a signed statement by Prabhakar and that is going to stand,” explained Madhavan. According to him, there was nothing illegal in Prabhakar’s smuggling in the camera and recording the entire interrogation by CBI. “But I don’t know how he managed to do it,” he said.

CBI Joint Director (JD) R.N. Sawani was apparently shaken when asked if he was aware of the secretly recorded tape. “I don’t know if Prabhakar recorded his interrogation and it does not matter,” he said. “We did not frisk him, believing him to be a gentleman. And even if has recorded it, it is not going to make any difference. We treated him well, did not beat him. Yes, we did shout at him,” he said, adding that he was present all the while during Prabhakar’s questioning.

Prabhakar had visited the CBI office three times in connection with match-fixing allegations — the first time to tell the CBI that Kapil Dev had offered him money to under-perform; the second time to hand over the tapes of his previously secretly recorded conversations; and the last time when he was summoned by the CBI for interrogation and confronted with evidence of his involvement. “It was only the third time that he was interrogated and I was present through out,” Sawani said.