Delhi police rejects Bhushan's charge on controversial CD

[1]

Rebutting allegations levelled by Team Anna member Prashant Bhushan, Delhi Police on Tuesday said Prime Minister's Office (PMO) or Home Ministry have not shown any interest in denying him forensic reports on controversial CD purportedly featuring his father Shanti Bhushan.

"It is totally false and baseless that Hon'ble Prime Minister's Office or Hon'ble Home Minister has taken any interest in the matter. The original reports with Delhi Police have been filed in the court," Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said in a statement.

The clarification came as Bhushan on Monday dragged the PMO and Home Ministry into the CD issue alleging that they were behind withholding a forensic report by CFSL-Chandigarh which Delhi Police said was doctored.

RTI activist S C Aggarwal had got a copy of the CFSL-Chandigarh report which contradicted CFSL-Delhi's report that claimed the CD was genuine. Bhagat said Aggarwal had requested for copies of reports of CFSL-New Delhi, CFSL-Chandigarh and CERT-In based in Delhi.

"This was denied by the Public Information Officer of Special Cell, Delhi Police, as per the provisions of RTI Act, 2005, which provides for denial of information at the stage of investigation as well as prosecution. Aggarwal is a third party and has no direct interest in the case and such information was not provided to him.

"Chief Information Commission, New Delhi has ordered Delhi Police to provide the certified copies of report of CFSL, New Delhi and CERT-In, New Delhi, free of cost, to Aggarwal," he said.

He said Delhi Police has filed all these three original examination reports of CFSL, New Delhi and Chandigarh and CERT-In in the closure report in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate on July 26.

"The matter is still subjudice. Besides, Delhi Police is approaching Hon'ble High Court of Delhi against the impugned orders of the CIC," he said.

Bhushan had said, "The interest taken by the Home Minister P Chidambaram in this matter and the PMO in revealing the Delhi CSFL report while withholding the Chandigarh CFSL report shows that the Government is behind the dissemination of this fabrication, if not the actual fabrication itself."

"This was the beginning of the repeated attempts by the Government to defame important members of the anti-corruption campaign - an attempt which continues till this day," Bhushan said.