Phone tapping probe entrusted to Vigilance Bureau: HP govt

The Himachal Pradesh government today entrusted the probe into the phone tapping during the previous BJP regime to the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.
"The state government has handed over the inquiry into the controversial telephone tapping to the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau and directed it to complete it within a time-bound period," an official spokesman said here.
"A reference from the Home Department has been received to enquire into the matter of telephone tapping. Information made available in this regard is being analysed," A P Singh, DIG Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, said.
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had made it clear that all those found involved in the act would not be spared.

Virbhadra had said over 1300 telephones were tapped during the BJP regime by the CID and Anti-Corruption Bureau and permission was sought only in respect of 34.
The remaining telephones were allegedly tapped illegally without any permission from the competent authority.
Hard discs of the computers of CID's technical wing were seized on December 24-25 and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for examination.
A 3-member committee, set up by the government, examined and retrieved the records from the hard discs and prepared the list of telephones tapped by premier investigating agencies of the state.