Gujarat HC scraps panel set up to probe snoopgate

The high court passed the order quashing the commission based on the petition of the woman's father, who contended that he had requested the state government to provide safety to his daughter.

The Gujarat high court has scrapped an inquiry commission set up by the state government to inquire into allegations of illegal surveillance on a woman architect, reportedly ordered in 2009 by Amit Shah, now the BJP president.

The high court passed the order quashing the commission based on the petition of the woman's father, who contended that he had requested the state government to provide safety to his daughter.

In run-up to the parliamentary polls this year, news portals Gulail and Cobrapost had released taped telephonic conversations, purportedly between Shah - the junior home minister of Gujarat in 2009 - and IPS officer GL Singhal.

Shah could be heard telling Singhal to mount surveillance on the woman as his "saheb" wanted her movements tracked.

The revelations had forced the then Narendra Modi government in Gujarat to set up the inquiry commission headed by former high court judge Sugnya Bhatt.

Along with the woman, IAS officer Pradip Sharma, who was recently arrested in a graft case, was allegedly also snooped upon by the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of the Gujarat police.
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