Diary case: Congress not keen to act on FSL report?

After the Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed the voices of BJP leaders BS Yeddyurappa and HN Ananth Kumar as genuine in the kick-back row, there is a lot of curiosity generated over what would be the next move of the Congress government. City police commissioner T Sunil Kumar met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday and updated him in the context of the FSL report about the CD, reports Kannada Prabha.

The State government is now contemplating whom to assign the investigation to. Sources informed Kannada Prabha that Chief Minister is faced with options of either instructing Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to straight away investigate under anti-corruption law or make either crime branch police or any other institution or individual to lodge a complaint with ACB against BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa and Union Minister Ananth Kumar. But it is said that the possibility of ACB investigating on its own is unlikely.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has told the police commissioner that he would seek experts’ suggestion to decide the next course of action, say sources. Earlier, before meeting the Chief Minister, the Commissioner held a meeting with Cyber Crime Branch officials and discussed the legal proceedings, evidences etc to explore the option of handing over the case to the ACB. 

It can be recalled here that a CD exposed a conversation between BS Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar at a party event in February where they were heard discussing about the the kick-back that the Congress leaders paid to the high command. They were also discussing about how to make use of the issue, politically. KPCC legal cell chief CM Dhananjaya had lodged complaint with ACB and Lokayukta to investigate into the issue. The Cyber Crime Branch admitted the complaint and had sent the CD to Forensic Science Lab (FSL) to test for its authenticity. FSL experts after conducting the required tests concluded that the voices were indeed those of Yeddyurappa and Ananth Kumar.

However, both Congress and BJP are responding to the incident in different ways. According to sources in the Congress camp, though the FSL report could implicate BS Yeddyurappa and Ananth kumar, it is not a major issue to make a hue and cry over it. It is best ignored. Even if it is pursued - at the most - an FIR  will be filed and the case goes to court and it may not stand in the court. It may not give a strong blow to both the BJP leaders. Instead, the kidnap attempt of BJP leader Eshwarappa' personal assistant and money found in a car at Vidhana Soudha were found to be more serious in nature. Also there are other cases against Yeddyuarppa that can be pursued, feels the Congress camp.

On the other hand, the BJP which is not ready to agree with the FSL report claims that truth will be revealed only when the entire audio clip of the CD is made public. For, the contents in the diary that belonged to Congress MLC Govindaraju have already been established and the Congress is engaging in all kinds of circus to disprove it. BJP is also alleging that scams involving the Chief Minister and his family members are being unfolded and to cover up that Congress is desperately cooking up false allegations against the BJP. The BJP leaders are reportedly unperturbed over the rumours of Congress handing over the case to the ACB. They are planning their strategy to effectively to counter the Congress' move. 

• CD of kick back raises questions
• Congress and BJP reacting differently