Karnataka may order CBI probe into snooping under Kumaraswamy govt
Live MintThe Karnataka government plans to soon order a CBI inquiry into the alleged phone-tapping of BJP leaders and 2-3 senior state police officers during the previous JD-S-Congress coalition government, an official said on Sunday. Kumaraswamy government tapped mobile and landline phones of BJP's state leaders, disqualified rebel legislators of the Congress and Janata Dal-Secular and three senior IPS officers. IPS officers -- Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao, his predecessor and Additional Director-General Police of the Karnataka State Reserve Police Alok Kumar Singh and another ADGP of the state intelligence wing Kamal Pant -- were reportedly lobbying for Bengaluru city police commissioner's post during that period. After audio tapes containing voices of Rao, Faraz, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel and others were leaked to a section of the local media, Kumaraswamy refuted that he ordered tapping of their phones.