Using the alleged snooping controversy that has come to haunt Narendra Modi Government in Gujarat and in particular his political aide Amit Shah in his favour, an IAS officer suspended by Modi Government got permission to produce the tape in Supreme Court, which is hearing his petition challenging his suspension.
The bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam gave permission to Sharma’s counsel Prashant Bhushan to file an affidavit to this effect after the latter informed the Court of the “recent developments” in form of audio tapes released by Cobra Post and Gulail showing Shah directing police officers to snoop on a woman as per directions of his “saheb” (boss).
Bhushan submitted that the important development required to be heard urgently as this showed how the Modi Government snooped on persons and used the state machinery to their favour. The bench, also comprising Justices Ranjana Desai and Ranjan Gogoi, posted the matter for hearing in the first week of December.
The Gujarat government counsel objected to the oral arguments should be allowed to be made till something is placed on record. Sharma, a 1984 batch IAS officer, is facing five criminal cases including a case for alleged irregularity in land allotment to private firms in Kutch district in 2008.In his petition, he had made some references to the personal life of Modi but the court on May 12, 2011 had directed him to remove those portions, which was accepted.
Sharma, who last served as Bhavnagar Municipal Commissioner, was arrested on January 6, 2010 in a case involving alleged irregularities in Kutch earthquake rehabilitation. The IAS officer in his petition, however, alleged that he is being targeted by Modi government because his younger brother Kuldip Sharma, a senior IPS officer in the state, has “unmasked” many misdeeds of Modi since Godhra riots. Sharma requested for a CBI probe.