'Indira Gandhi, Karunanidhi arrests cannot be compared'

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 16.

Mr. N.K. Singh, former Joint Director, CBI, writes:

This is with reference to the article by Mr. Joginder Singh, former CBI Director, ``Police, there for you, always or never'' (Aug. 28). The provocation obviously was the controversy arising out of the arrests of the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, and two DMK Central Ministers by the Tamil Nadu police in Chennai.

I, as S.P., CBI, had led a four-member CBI team on October 3, 1977, to arrest the former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, from 12 Wellingdon Crescent in connection with the Jeep Scandal corruption case.

Yet, when I saw the footage of the arrest of Mr. Karunanidhi in which he was being physically dragged by policemen and the old man of 78, ``yelling'' helplessly, I was both shocked and ashamed as a former policeman. It was, however, left to Mr. Joginder Singh to draw a parallel between the arrests made at Chennai this year with the arrest of Indira Gandhi by the CBI way back in October 1977, as examples of settling political scores by the ruling party by employing the police.

Unable to discern the apparent from the real, he has put both the arrests under the same category of use of police to settle political scores, describing Indira Gandhi's arrest by the Janata Government of 1977 as ``the earliest known prominent case'' of this nature. He then goes on to plead the case of policemen as helpless creatures, who have no choice but to yield to ``political dictates and do their biddings'' for genuine apprehension of personal adverse consequences.

Putting Indira Gandhi's arrest by the CBI in the same category as that of Mr. Karunanidhi's in Chennai this year could have been ignored. But, important public issues are involved, making it imperative to put the record straight.

First of all, Indira Gandhi was arrested by the CBI in a corruption case, in the wake of Emergency excesses and crimes, including several alleged corrupt practices.

There was neither transparency nor accountability during Emergency. Democracy was subverted, freedom of expression taken away, the Rule of Law demolished and thousands were put behind the bars without trial.

The arrest was made after fully satisfying all legal and ethical aspects, surely not against my own judgment, or under any political ``pressure'' whatsoever.

The purpose of arresting Indira Gandhi was to put her under legal restraint, so that she was available for examination/interrogation. She was offered bail and was produced in the court next morning as per requirement of law.

Unlike what was done at Chennai, there was no gatecrashing. Steps to expedite the arrest were taken only when scores of youth of the Sanjay-brigade were seen being brought in to 12 Wellingdon Crescent, while we were being made to wait.

After refusing to take bail, Indira Gandhi took time to get ready and locked herself in a bedroom where she was found holding parleys with her partymen and family members for a long time.

We repeatedly knocked the doors, with no result yet no physical force was used nor was there any roughing-up. She was extended all the courtesy due to her as a top political leader who had been the Prime Minister for 11 years.

When she came out, after persuasion and show of legal firmness, she created all sorts of trouble. Our own car carrying her was followed by about 15 vehicles of theirs, led by Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi. Enroute, she kept shouting out to the bystanders and curious onlookers, ``look, they are taking me away under arrest''.

She was ultimately taken to the Kingsway camp police guesthouse and kept during the night at the VIP suite, offered food, which of course she declined.

To be fair to her, when I took leave of her, she called me and apologised for all the acts of hoodlums, both in Wellingdon Crescent and enroute.

If at all a parallel can be drawn, it should be between the arrests at Chennai and my own arrest by the Haryana Police on 29th January, 1980, after Indira Gandhi returned to power, with Sanjay Gandhi acting as the de facto Prime Minister. I was the CBI DIG then, staying at Satya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. I was forced to go on leave, and two days after, at an unearthly hour of a winter morning. Mr. Bhajan Lal's armed police came, surrounded my house and took me away forcibly to Gurgaon under the pretext of examining me in a false case registered at the instance of Sanjay Gandhi.

But for a vigilant press, a determined Opposition, fortuitous circumstance of Parliament being in session and help extended by Mr. Ram Jethmalani, God alone knows, what would have happened to me.

In the end, it must be recorded that there is also the choice of acting as per the law of the land, according to the dictates of one's conscience, and facing the consequences rather than acting as tools of political masters, at their bidding. Many in the police forces in the country have opted for this choice and faced consequences with courage and determination.

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