Telephone tapping; CBI to grill Alok Kumar again

Bengaluru: The investigation into the telephone tapping scandal by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has gathered steam, and, according to CBI sources, ADGP Alok Kumar will be summoned again for questioning soon.

The CBI is likely to complete the interrogation of assistant commissioners of police (ACPs) and police inspectors, which is going on, in another two days and then summon Mr Alok Kumar.

The CBI has summoned eight ACPs and 54 police inspectors in the second round of investigation. Separate teams are collecting information from these officers who tapped phones of several important personalities. It is said that the CBI has already collected all the phone numbers that were tapped. The officers on the grill are being asked why the phones were tapped and what the outcome was of their investigation.

The CBI has questioned 254 police officers so far. It was earlier alleged that, the CBI had put the tapping case on the backburner as there was an understanding between the JD(S) and BJP.

Former chief minister and JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy seems to have gone soft on the BJP. But he has clarified that he is issuing any statement seemingly favourable to BJP not because of fear of investigation into the telephone tapping case, and that he fears none. It is alleged that Mr Kumaraswamy got phones of ruling and opposition politicians tapped to save his JD(S)-Congress coalition government. He is also accused of tapping Vokkaliga seer Nirmalandanatha Swamy. The police officers have revealed that Kumaraswamy’s two secretaries issued instructions to tap phones.