Judeo: New twist

New Delhi, July 5 (PTI): The “unedited original tapes” of the -cash-on-camera scam involving former Union minister Dilip Singh Judeo have been destroyed, Bhupendra Singh Patel, alias Rahul, told Delhi High Court today.

On CBI’s request, the high court had on January 13 ordered Rahul, who had conducted the sting operation against Judeo, to hand over the tapes to the bureau. The order was reiterated on February 17 and May 31 after he failed to comply.

“We had given you (Rahul) protection from arrest on the promise that you will hand over the tapes to the CBI. The protection should not become a hindrance in the investigation of the case,” the court, which is hearing his plea for quashing of the FIR, had observed on May 31.

Rahul was supposed to submit the “unedited original tapes” of the sting operation to the court today. But surprisingly, his counsel Pawan Narang informed Justice S.K. Agrawal that the tapes had been destroyed.

The court asked Narang to file an affidavit in this regard in two weeks.

The matter will now come up for hearing on July 19.

The “destruction” of original tapes can damage the CBI case as it would be difficult for the bureau to prove the involvement of Judeo and his personal secretary Natwar Rateria in the scam.