Expert demonstrates doctoring of tapes before Tehelka panel

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 24. Even as the Centre today suggested to the Venkataswami Commission to satisfy itself about the veracity and authenticity of the Tehelka tapes, a technical expert today demonstrated before the panel how certain portions involving the former Samata Party president, Ms. Jaya Jaitly, could have been `doctored' by deleting and adding of words.

Mr. Milind Kapoor, a filmmaker, stunned the Commission and others, by demonstrating how deletion, addition and mixing of shots were possible. He gave a presentation of the portions of the tapes involving Ms. Jaya Jaitly and the former BJP president, Mr. Bangaru Laxman.

Using sophisticated audio and video techniques and computer graphics, he showed how ``dissolving'' of either the `sound' or the `visual' took place in these portion of the tapes, which he said could have been done while editing. Mr. Kapoor also gave a live visual display of how the answers given by a person could be attributed to different persons by mixing the same voice.

He said it was possible that if the 100 hours of original tapes in the possession of the Commission was sent for examination by a panel of experts, more things would come to light. The panel had been rejecting the plea of the noticees to provide the original tapes for verification of their authenticity by a panel of experts.

When counsel for most of the noticees and army officers insisted that the panel should go into the authenticity of the tapes, the Commission wanted to know from the Additional Solicitor General, Mr. Kirit Rawal, the Centre's stand on this. Mr. Rawal submitted that though the Centre had not taken any stand on this aspect, as certain doubts had been raised by the counsel, the Commission should satisfy itself about the veracity of the tapes in the interest of natural justice to clear the cloud of doubts.

Senior counsel for the Tehelka portal, Mr. Shanthi Bhushan, responding to the expert's presentation said nobody was disputing that dubbing or mixing was not possible. He would cross-examine the expert tomorrow.

Court martial proceedings

PTI reports:

The Army has initiated ``court martial'' proceedings against three serving senior officers - Maj. Gen. P.S.K. Chowdhary, Brig. Iqbal Singh and Col. Anil Sehgal, who had been found guilty of misconduct by a ``Court of inquiry'' in the Tehelka expose on corruption in defence deals.

Two other senior officials, Maj. Gen. Manjit Singh Ahluwalia, and Col. B.B. Sharma, have been served with a show-cause notice for dismissal from the services. Sources said while Brig. Singh and Col. Sehgal have been served with the formal `court martial' chargesheets, Maj. Gen. Chowdhary was yet to receive it as he was still to report back to his attached unit.

These officers are also facing proceedings by the Venkataswami Commission, set up by the Government to probe the expose.

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