Himachal phone-tapping: Dhumal calls for probe by HC judge

BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal today alleged that Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was "influencing" the probe into the phone-tapping case and demanded an independent probe by sitting High Court judge into the matter.
"The Chief Minister is trying to influence the vigilance probe and there are serious doubts about the probe being conducted in a fair and impartial manner when Chief Minister, who is also the Home minister was making utterances with a bias," state BJP spokesman Ganesh Dutt said.
Dhumal has also written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying that Virbhadra Singh had levelled similar allegations of phone tapping while Congress was in opposition earlier and that he (Dhumal) as Chief Minister had then urged the Prime Minister to clear the mist by ordering a probe by central agency.

"The state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has to work under the supervision of state government and it cannot be fair in probe and we have been asking the state government to order an inquiry by sitting judge of High Court to bring out truth and close the chapter once for all," Dhumal said.