National   

ED allegation 'baseless'

By Our Legal Correspondent

NEW DELHI July 1. The Tehelka news portal today condemned the allegation of the Enforcement Directorate that the `Tehelka tapes' were funded by `dubious money from Dubai' and asserted that it was "baseless'' and "politically motivated''.

In a statement, the portal said that this was only one among several such stories floated by various wings of the Government over the last 15 months to discredit Tehelka.

Today it was being accused of being funded by some Dubai-based firm loosely connected with the `Bharat Shah case'. Earlier, it was accused of being part of an `ISI plot', "a Hinduja operation'', "a market conspiracy'', "an opposition plot'', a sting paid for by "disaffected arms dealers''. The statement said that ever since the Tehelka broke its story on corruption in the defence establishment in March last year, the Government had embarked on a shameful, malicious and persistent programme of harassment and false propaganda.

Instead of investigating those caught in blatant wrongdoing, it had floated ridiculous stories about Tehelka in the media, "raided our offices and what is worse, lied on sworn affidavits in the Justice Venkataswami Commission — hoping to discredit Tehelka in any way it could''.

Now, in keeping with this disregard for truth and values of public office, the Enforcement Directorate had planted a new "baseless" and malafide story in the media that money came from dubious source in Dubai.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Venkaiah takes charge as BJP chief
• Jaswant moves out after a good innings at South Block
• Sinha leaves as economy looks up
• Kanwal Sibal rules out early talks with Pak.
• SC defers hearing on petition against unseating of Stalin
• 'Centre not keen on solving J&K issue'
• 'Nation facing crisis of governance'
• CPC amendments come into effect
• `Infiltration still on'
• IPS officer, six others acquitted in murder case
• ED allegation 'baseless'
• CPI seeks ban on Gujarat yatra
• Award for former IAS official
• Electronic courts in SC soon
• PM urged to stop rath yatra
• Tehelka chief denies editing portions of tapes
• Was Patel's refusal tactical?
• Defence Ministry gets a new name
• From arclight to limelight

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu