FBI launches probe into Condit's past

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, JULY 13. Investigative agencies are expanding their scope in the continued search for the missing 24-year-old intern, Ms Chandra Levy. On the one hand, Federal authorities are checking to see if the Democratic Congressman, Mr. Gary Condit, obstructed justice.

There have been allegations that Mr. Condit may have asked women he was acquainted with earlier to sign false statements of the relationship and refuse to talk to the agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On the other hand, the police in the District of Colombia have started re-searching some abandoned buildings near Ms Levy's apartment complex. The worst case scenario is that the young woman may have been a victim of foul play with the body dumped in one of the many abandoned buildings in this city.

Federal and local authorities are working on at least four theories - that she was killed, committed suicide, walked away on her own or wandering around not knowing where or who she is. Increasingly, the police are ruling out suicide as the body is yet to be found. The thinking that Ms Levy could be victim of foul play has led the police into the elaborate search of landfills and abandoned buildings and with help of cadaver sniffing dogs.

The media attention continues to be focussed on Mr. Condit, one who is not considered a suspect by the police and who has been pleading innocence all along. But the police are looking at the private life of Mr. Condit, especially his alleged affairs that would enable authorities to get a better profile of his attitude and behaviour towards women.

Reports say that Mr. Condit may have had affairs with at least six women. The Washington Post, for instance, has reported that Mr. Condit had a sexual relationship with an 18-year-old some seven years ago in his hometown of Modesto, California. This has been angrily rejected by supporters of the Congressman who see a deliberate attempt by the media to keep focussing on Mr. Condit.

But on Thursday in this town, Federal prosecutors spoke to Ms Anne Marie Smith, a flight attendant who is said to have had an affair with Mr. Condit. The FBI is looking at the allegation that Mr. Condit urged Ms Smith to sign a statement denying the 10- month affair and also telling her that she did not have to cooperate with the FBI. This again has been flatly denied by the Congressman's office.

Meanwhile, it is said that the police have obtained a DNA sample from Mr. Condit and are working out the modalities of a lie detector test. Mr. Condit's lawyer is insisting on the polygraph test to be very simple and restricted to a few questions.

The police, on the contrary, wish it to be comprehensive and covering all angles that would be useful to the investigation. Further, Mr. Condit's lawyer wants the polygraph test carried out by a private agency.

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