Essar phone tap: SIT questions complainant

The Delhi Police, which is conducting a preliminary enquiry into the allegations of phone tapping of politicians, bureaucrats, industrialists and many other high-profile people by corporate major Essar Group, today questioned the complainant in the case Suren Uppal for over two hours.
Uppal was called for questioning by the special investigation team constituted by Delhi Police at its headquarters at around 11 am and was asked questions on a wide array of issues including his allegations and the evidences he claimed to have in support of his charges of phone tapping by the corporate major, sources said.
He was asked by the SIT officials led by a Special Commissioner rank officer about documentary evidences including log books, handwritten notes as well as recordings of some top politicians and other high-profile persons he claimed to possess, they said.

Uppal said he was questioned by a team of five officials for over two hours and he agreed to provide all evidences he has with him in support of his allegations.
"I was questioned for over two hours by the officials. I agreed to provide all the evidences to police but urged them to not to make public some tapes of personal conversations which could ruin lives of people. I have been called again to join probe on September 17," Uppal told PTI.
He has also handed over to the SIT a letter stating that the content of the tapes that are "personal" in nature should not be made public.

Uppal, a lawyer, had filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court in June alleging that Essar tapped phones of a number of high-profile persons including some Union Ministers. He had also approached the PMO against the group in the case.

He had alleged that the Essar Group had ordered its former security chief Albasit Khan to tap telephonic conversations of its business rivals when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.
He said he had sent a mail to Albasit Khan requesting him to join the investigation but received no reply.
In July, the Home Ministry had told the Delhi High Court that it has directed police to carry out a preliminary enquiry into the allegations Uppal made in his PIL.

The five-member SIT is likely to call many people to join the probe, sources said.