Bugging charge: Pvt sleuths were probed

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) sleuths had spoken to private detectives who had conducted a bug-sweeping exercise in the offices of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and his close aides to know their findings before submitting a report to the government.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) sleuths had spoken to private detectives who had conducted a bug-sweeping exercise in the offices of finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and his close aides to know their findings before submitting a report to the government.

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The IB report concluded that no attempt was made to bug the offices in the finance ministry.

According to officials sources, apart from private detectives, the IB sleuths also spoke to former chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Sudhir Chandra about the circumstances in which the private detectives were called.

The finance minister had asked for a secret inquiry into the matter in letter written to the prime minister.

On the instructions of the prime minister, the IB conducted an inquiry into the matter. Before the IB conducted an inquiry, the CBDT had called in private detectives to look into the matter.

That's why before submitting a report on the suspected bugging, the IB sleuths spoke to Chandra and private detectives. Sources said, during the probe IB didn’t find anything suspicious but the agency wanted to be sure about the report of private detectives as well. The report of private detectives was also clear.

According to sources, after the suspected case of bugging, the IB has increased the frequency of bug-sweeping exercise in all sensitive offices.