Despite rhetorics in the rank and file of the Congress for a speedy probe into the infamous phone-tapping case, the Himachal Pradesh Government is likely to play safe and is mulling different options to bring the culprits to book. Two reports after analysing storage devices of CID and Vigilance have been submitted to CM Virbhadra Singh to take a final call on it. The two files have been provided with notes about the possible ways of probing.
According to high profile sources,Government is mulling four possible options in the case, which includes vigilance probe, lodging a FIR and subsequent investigation, probe by CBI or any other agency and the last Departmental inquiry.
Though many a times Vigilance probe has been sought but it is highly unlikely as the move stands against the criminal jurisprudence because this department of the police has been party to phone tapping and over 400 phones were tapped by the Anti-corruption bureau of Vigilance.
The second option is lodging FIR and subsequent investigation by police is hovering it, as for this move, the Government has to be strong on legal fronts as lodging of FIR will result in making the accused parties move to court.
Now the third option of CBI probe or that by any other agency, also has a remote possibility as Government fears that this move would get worse with the investigative agency carving out altogether new dimension which is hard to be foreseen.
“The probe by central agency or any other agencies always have a kind of threat factor of blackmailing or distortion of facts involved and it would actually go haphazard,” said a senior official.
The last option left, of proceeding with the Departmental inquiry in the case has emerged out as one of the safest bet for the Government which could help it to give a safe burial to the case and nab the culprits.
“A team of senior officials of the State Government including some technical experts could be the safest bet at present. What has been done cannot be undone and the need of the moment is to bring those responsible to book,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.
He added that efforts are being made to safeguard the system with inspection and destruction of phone records and others loop holes should be plugged to avoid the repetition of the incident.