The Hindu : `CBI trying to get original tape in Judev case'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 27, 2003

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`CBI trying to get original tape in Judev case'

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI NOV. 26. The Central Bureau of Investigation is trying to get hold of the original tape in the case involving Dilip Singh Judev, who resigned as Union Minister of State for Environment, the CBI Director, P.C. Sharma, said here today. Mr. Sharma, who lays down office next month, told presspersons that if they could not get the original tape, they would send a copy of it for forensic analysis.

Asked whether it was Mr. Judev who was seen in the video image, Mr. Sharma said that without expert examination, "we cannot say it is so and so, so and so". The investigation had started only a few days ago. "Please give us some time."

When his attention was drawn to the reported Congress charge that the CBI was "fabricating evidence" against the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi, in the Judev case, Mr. Sharma said he had not seen the report. However, if such a charge had been made it was "absolutely baseless".

As regards the multi-crore fake stamp paper racket, the CBI had registered six cases and the States where cases had been registered included Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Delhi. Two cases in Uttar Pradesh would also come to the CBI soon. In Gujarat, fake stamps worth Rs. 8-9 crores had been seized. To a question on some of the States not opting for a CBI enquiry, Mr. Sharma said that it was their decision. The CBI could not take up cases suo motu. As they had not gone into the details of the cases in Karnataka and Maharashtra, it was difficult to comment on them.

As for the leak of the question papers of the Common Admission Test for the Indian Institute of Management, he said it was a bad case and many innocents had suffered. "We are very confident we will unearth all ramifications." On the "three lakh dollars" case against the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, Mr. Sharma said that investigation was on. Asked whether any pressure was being brought on the agency, he replied in the negative. The Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA), which was probing the case relating to the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, was carrying on its investigation.

Letter Rogatories had been sent to various countries. "We are not getting the response," he said.

Mr. Sharma, who has served in various capacities in the CBI, said the agency now handled various cases besides corruption issues, particularly those relating to security matters, scams, economic offences and even conventional crimes such as murder and fake notes. "We are taking steps to improve our investigative skills."

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