Tehelka probe panel to seek more time

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JUNE 28. The Justice K. Venkataswami Commission, probing the Tehelka videotapes expose, will seek more time to complete its inquiry. The probe panel's term ends on July 23 but it would be forced to seek an extension for another four months.

``The Commission may be forced to seek an extension for four more months in view of its extensive terms of reference and voluminous records and documents that it has received,'' Mr. P. Anandrao, the Officer on Special Duty (OSD), to the Commission told reporters here today.

The Commission has issued individual notices to some more persons, including the Union Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha and Mr. Rajiv Pratap Rudi, a BJP MP. They have been given time till July 2 to respond when the Commission is scheduled to hold its next public hearing.

The Commission has so far received six crucial files from the Defence Ministry pertaining to the defence deals under scrutiny. In its affidavit submitted to the Commission, the Ministry has admitted to 13 defence deals as mentioned in the transcripts of Tehelka videotapes and handed over six files to the panel. The Commission official said the Ministry files were ``voluminous'' and were being scrutinised by the investigation team of the panel, headed by the Delhi Police Joint Commissioner, Dr. K.K. Paul.

The Commission has also been informed of the allegations by some individuals that the Tehelka tapes could have been ``doctored'' in some portions. ``All such allegations will be looked into by the investigation team.''

He said 14 persons had attended the screening of Tehelka tapes on June 11 and they had been given time of two weeks to file their affidavits. Out of the 45 notices issued under Section 5 (2) (a) of the Commission of Inquiry Act, 40 individuals had filed their statements or affidavits. As many as 23 persons have responded to the notices under Section 5 (2) (b).

The Tehelka newsportal was issued a second interrogatory on the allegations of some of the missing pages from the transcript of the tapes. ``They are yet to respond to it but in their first reply the newsportal had clarified that the first set of pages were missing owing to an error in the pagination system. For the second set of missing pages, we are waiting for their reply.''

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Section  : National
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