Cong moves HC for SIT to probe Antagarh tapes

MORE THAN a year after tapes emerged which purportedly showed that the Antagarh bypoll of 2014 was possibly influenced by financial dealings, the Chhattisgarh Congress has filed a petition with the Bilaspur High Court asking for an SIT to investigate the matter.

The tapes, first reported by The Indian Express in December 2015, purportedly showed conversations between Chief Minister Raman Singh’s relative Puneet Gupta and Ajit and Amit Jogi, who have since broken away from the Congress, among others. There are also purported conversations with Manturam Pawar, the Congress candidate who withdrew just before the bypoll and later joined the BJP.

In its petition, the Congress said it appealed to various agencies for an inquiry, but no probe took place. State Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel said, “Since this is a high-profile matter which involves the Chief Minister as well as Ajit and Amit Jogi, the police are not being able to carry out an impartial probe. This is why we have petitioned the High Court to set up a panel under its supervision to look into the matter.”