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The Karnataka Government today asserted it had not ordered tapping of telephone of Lokayukta Mr Justice N. Santosh Hegde, who has now hinted at the possible involvement of a political party behind it.
“The Government has not ordered (tapping of Mr Hegde’s phone),” the Chief Secretary, Mr S.V. Ranganath, told PTI when contacted. “We have not authorised anything”.
When told about the Government position, Mr Hegde said: “Is phone tapping of this type authorised? Do you think that the Government will officially, on record, say that you tap the telephone of Lokayukta?”
Speaking in general terms, he said everybody knows that phone tapping is going on in a big way by various organisations and special investigation agencies.
Asked if he is convinced that the State Government is behind his phone-tapping, Mr Hegde, a former Supreme Court Judge, told PTI: “I would not say Government; but political party might be there (behind the phone-tapping)...I don’t know, that I don’t want to comment...I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to join issue on phone tapping“.
The disclosure of the Lokayukta earlier this week that his phone had been tapped and coming as it did after his second and final report on the mining scam in Karnataka was leaked, has raised a political storm, with the Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, and four ministers being indicted.
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