A day after Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan put the onus of the “controversial” CD on the Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, the expelled Samajwadi Party leader on Monday hit back and said that the social activist could be the real mastermind of the CD controversy. He also went on to charge that “the Bhushans had amassed assets worth `175 crores after they started filing public interest litigations”.
Mr Singh on Monday filed a police complaint against the civil society member Prashant Bhushan and former Union minister Shanti Bhushan for having distributed copies of his tapped conversations as the matter is sub-judice and also claimed that he would file a contempt case in the court. The police complaint was filed at IP police station in the capital. In his police complaint, Mr Singh quoted Supreme Court direction of February 27, 2006, which had stayed the print and electronic media from publishing and broadcasting the tapped conversations.
Mr Singh in a press conference at his residence on Monday evening remarked “Kahin is Pappu ka papa Prashant Bhushan hi to nahi hai (Is Prashant Bhushan the source of the CD)”. He also claimed that at least five versions of the CD in question are in circulation in the market. He also wondered how come the forensic expert approached by Bhushans was sitting along with Prashant Bhushan during his press conference on Sunday at the Press Club.
Meanwhile, home minister P. Chidambaram on Monday said that a “free, fair and thorough” probe will be conducted into the alleged fake CD, involving eminent lawyer Shanti Bhushan, a member of the joint drafting committee on Lokpal bill. On the Bhushan CD controversy, Mr Chidambaram said this was a “season of allegations” but he was glad that ‘’there is a growing realisation that reputation is also important.’’
“I have been assured by the Delhi police that there would be free, fair and thorough probe. The CD will be examined in at least two different labs for separate reports,” he told reporters here.