Medical scam: Ex-judge moves court for probe into leakage of tapes

Former Orissa High Court judge I M Quddusi, who is on bail after his arrest last year in connection with a medical college graft case, today moved a city court seeking a probe into the leakage of transcripts of telephone conversation between him and two other accused persons in the media.

Taking note, Special Judge Manoj Jain sought response from the CBI by January 22 on the plea which alleged that the document was confidential and was not even supplied to the accused but given to people outside the probe agency. The application, filed on Quddusi's behalf by advocate Vijay Aggarwal, said this gave rise to "grave suspicion and apprehension of interference of third parties into the investigation of the present matter". Some major dailies had given out details of the purported transcript of the alleged conversation between three persons including Quddusi, claiming that their phones were tapped by the CBI.

The reports had spoken of conversations between Quddusi, a middleman and B P Yadav, owner of UP-based medical college, Prasad Education Trust. Quddusi's plea said that "monitoring of the investigation is essential to find out as to whether the alleged conversations and PE report has been leaked by someone within the CBI or they have been stolen, which is essential so as to ensure that it does not become a 'Trial by Media' and ensure that administration of justice is not compromised by interference by third parties in the investigation of the matter."

It also said the possibility of tampering of the documents leaked "cannot be ruled out, for which also inquiry is required to be conducted." Quddusi was arrested last year on the charges of graft along with other accused persons but was later granted bail by a Delhi court.