Delhi Police Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma in a letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the Delhi Police would probe the allegations of Kejriwal in which he said the Central Government was tapping the phones of judges. Kejriwal had made such allegations while he was giving a speech at the Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi on the 50th Anniversary of the Delhi High Court on Monday.
“During a function to mark the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Delhi High Court, you have reportedly alleged that the phones of judges are being tapped. In fact, there are media reports to indicate that you have ‘heard’ some judges saying so,” Verma wrote in his letter to Kejriwal.
“As you are aware, phone tapping is an extremely serious matter and is not allowed without due authorisation after following strict procedures mandated under law. Therefore your alluding to the matter raises serious concerns,” Delhi Police chief said in his letter.
Verma asked Kejriwal to let him know of any case of phone tapping, which he has knowledge of that he referred to in the course of his speech at the Vigyan Bhawan on October 31.
“We would appreciate if you could inform us the source on which you base your allegations so that appropriate action can be initiated in the matter,” the letter further said.
It may be recalled that while speaking at the 50th anniversary of the HC, Kejriwal said that “even if any judge has done something wrong, phone tapping should not happen”. “There are many other ways to gather evidence,” the CM said.
“I said phones of the judges cannot be tapped,” Kejriwal said at the event which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kejriwal launched his offensive against the Central Government by saying that he has “overheard two judges saying that ‘don’t talk on the phone, it is being tapped’”.
“I said phones of the judges cannot be tapped,” Kejriwal said at the event which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Calling phone-tapping a dangerous trend, he said, “I don’t know if it is true or not, but if this is true, then it’s dangerous.”
“Where is the independence of the judiciary then,” Kejriwal then asked.
Union Minister of law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was also present at the venue, refuted the allegations.
“I wish to deny with all the authority at my command that the phones of judges have not been tapped in India at all,” he said on the sidelines of the event. The Union Minister also said his Government’s commitment to the independence of the judiciary is “complete and irrefutable”.