The Delhi police have registered a case against an unknown person for allegedly fabricating a defamatory telephonic conversation between Shanti Bhushan, former Law Minister and now co-chairman of the joint committee to draft the Lokpal Bill, and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh and its former general secretary Amar Singh.
The case has been registered under Section 469 of the Indian Penal Code (forgery for harming reputation) at the IP Estate police station.
In his complaint, Mr. Bhushan said a journalist from The Indian Express met him on Wednesday night and showed him a compact disc purportedly containing a recorded telephonic conversation between him, and Mr. Mulayam Singh and Mr. Amar Singh.
“Contents defamatory”
The journalist told Mr. Bhushan that the CD had been delivered at the newspaper's office anonymously. “The CD is clearly fabricated as I have never had any conversation with these persons. The contents are defamatory in nature. It appears that the CD has been fabricated in order to malign me,” said Mr. Bhushan.
“Case of conspiracy”
“The journalist did not leave the CD with me, but it must be there in the newspaper office. This is clearly an offence of forgery under Section 469 of the IPC. Further, it is apparent that several persons are involved in this fabrication and therefore, it is also a clear case of conspiracy under Section 120 B of the IPC.”
“Desperation”
In a press statement on Friday, Mr. Bhushan said: “To go to such lengths shows the desperation of these people to discredit the members of the committee constituted to draft the Lokpal Bill, and to derail the Bill.”
Probe under way
While investigations have been initiated to identify the person(s) involved, the police are also trying to obtain the CD. “We will approach the newspaper office in this regard,” said a police officer.
