Reports say that it was Union home minister and BJP national president Amit Shah who held discussions with chief minister BS Yediyurappa over phone tapping allegations involving former CM HD Kumaraswamy.
Bengaluru: The allegations of phone-tapping in Karnataka are all set to be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Chief minister BS Yediyurappa announced this decision early Sunday (August 18) morning.
But what made the chief minister hand over the investigation to the CBI?
Reports say that when Yediyurappa met Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday over the issue of Cabinet formation and funds for flood relief, Amit Shah also broached the issue of phone tapping.
Also read: Karnataka: CBI to probe phone tapping allegations surrounding former CM Kumaraswamy
When the issue of the former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy being involved in the scandal was revealed, it was said that Amit Shah thought over it for a while and asked Yediyurappa to remain silent on the issue. Reports add that the top brass was weighing the options before them – a CID probe or an SIT probe or a CBI probe.
Ultimately, this morning at 7, BJP national working president JP Nadda called up Yediyurappa and asked him to go ahead with a CBI probe. That is when Yediyurappa formally announced that a CBI probe would be held in the case.
Before announcing the decision, CM Yediyurappa met Sandeep Patil, CCB joint commissioner and held discussions with him.
Now that the CBI will probe the issue, who will be questioned?
Alok Kumar, the former Bengaluru commissioner, Girish, DCP, CCB, former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, former deputy CM Parameshwara, former home minister MB Patil are all likely to be grilled.
The local news channel which got its hands on the audio tapes involving police commissioner Bhaskar Rao is also likely to be quizzed.
The murky issue of phone tapping came to light when audio tapes of Bhaskar Rao having a conversation with Faraz, a middleman close to Congress high command Ahmed Patel were released. Later, rebel MLAs like H Vishwanath also pointed fingers at CM HD Kumaraswamy.
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