Delhi L-G forwards Cong leaders' NIA probe demand in 'snooping case'
The office of Delhi Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena has forwarded the request of Congress leaders Sandeep Dikshit, Mangat Ram Singhal and Kiran Walia -- demanding an inquiry by the NIA into the matter of snooping and spying by the Delhi government's Feedback Unit (FBU), to the Chief Secretary for "further necessary action", an official said on Monday.
New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) The office of Delhi Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena has forwarded the request of Congress leaders Sandeep Dikshit, Mangat Ram Singhal and Kiran Walia -- demanding an inquiry by the NIA into the matter of snooping and spying by the Delhi government's Feedback Unit (FBU), to the Chief Secretary for "further necessary action", an official said on Monday.
The Congress leaders had written to Lt. Governor that the sanction to CBI to prosecute former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in the matter of FBU under the Prevention of Corruption Act, was not relevant since the case at hand was not just a case of corruption but a clear case of sedition involving spying on people and institutions including those at the Central government, in full knowledge of the Chief Minister and the entire Cabinet.
"To acquire a capacity to listen to conversations, gather intelligence and information and to 'spy' on people and institutions in the national capital territory that includes the Central government, defence establishments, intelligence agencies of the Union government etc., is a clear case of sedition," read the letter from Sandeep Dikshit addressed to the L-G.
Dikshit further said: "While we are not lawyers, we believe that this invokes the UAPA, or similar acts and the CBI and NIA must be directed by yourself to investigate under laws governing sedition and anti-national activities and as evidence of wrong doing has already been found, the concerned CM and ministers of Delhi government, and officials must be prosecuted under such sedition and anti-national laws as maybe found applicable in this."
The letter also read: "The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sought and received sanction from you to prosecute Manish Sisodia, former minister in Delhi government, in a case of the setting up of a Feedback Unit (FBU) by Delhi government some years back. This sanction is sought under the Prevention of Corruption Act.