Centre cannot interfere in Tehelka case: Shinde

Says Union and State Home secretaries have been authorised to take action on snooping

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said the Centre cannot interfere in the sexual assault case against Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal.

Replying to a question on whether Tejpal's arrest came after much delay, Shinde, who was here to attend a function, said, "Our government does not protect culprits in any way. Since it (Tejpal's) is a case of a different state, the Centre cannot interfere in it."

He refused to comment on the snooping controversy involving Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, but when asked if Modi should face trial for misuse of state machinery, he said "inquiry will be conducted about all this and decision will be taken".

"Union and State Home secretaries have been authorised to take action on (illegal) snooping," he said.

Speaking about rationalist Narendra Dabholkar murder case, he said state authorities had told him that police had got some clues about the culprits. "I have also spoken to the state government. They are trying their best," he said.

Shinde, who is on the all-party committee formed for the construction of memorial of late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, said he looked beyond Thackeray's image as a leader of an "aggressive party".

"I do not look at Bal Thackeray as the late Shiv Sena supremo and as (leader of) an aggressive organisation. Balasaheb's father Prabodhankar Thackeray had raised his voice against the atrocities on Dalits. Maharashtra cannot forget that. I will not talk about his (Bal Thackeray's) other activities," he said.