In a major development in controversial snooping case, the Gujarat Police on Monday refused to register Suspended IAS officer Pradeep Sharma’s complaint against Chief Minister Narendra Modi and former Minister of State for Home Amit Shah. Sharma is now planning to move the court.
Sharma approached Gandhinagar police to lodge an FIR against the Chief Minister and two others. However, the in-charge of Sector-7 Police Station refused to register the FIR saying there is already a judicial commission investigating the case. According to Sharma, taping of his phone is a cognizable offence and even the Supreme Court has said that an FIR should be lodged in such offence. He claimed that he had also submitted evidence of audio clippings from two websites.
Meanwhile, Gandhinagar SP Sharad Singhal said that Sharma’s application has been accepted. He, however, didn’t divulge more information in the matter.
The 1984-batch IAS officer said that the Commissions of Inquiry constituted to probe the scandal have powers to make recommendations but it is the police which have to register an FIR, investigate and prosecute. A Commission of Inquiry has got nothing to do with a criminal activity. If a criminal case takes place, an FIR has to be filed, he added.