Essar Case: Suren Uppal Moved Court for Court-Monitored SIT Probe

Uppal approached the Prime Minister with a complaint over the alleged illegal phone-tapping of high-profile people.

Uppal was allegedly approached twice by the Essar Group before the tapped conversations were reported in the media. (Photo: Liju Joseph)

Supreme Court lawyer Suren Uppal, who approached the Prime Minister with a complaint against Essar over the alleged illegal phone-tapping of high-profile people and some union ministers has moved the Delhi High Court for a court-monitored SIT probe.

Advocate Suren Uppal has claimed that he filed the petition on the basis of CDs of the recorded conversations. He wants the CDs examined for credibility.

He submitted that he found out about the “illegal and unlawful acts of tapping” conducted allegedly at the behest of one of Essar’s employees, who has now left the company.

From 2001 to 2006 phones of some of the prominent citizens, including ministers, top government officials and corporate houses, of our country were tapped and intercepted for deriving undue advantages.

Suren Uppal

Essar Group has denied all charges.

The recorded conversations are “incriminating” and if found to be genuine, would exhibit the unscrupulous/evil nexus between politicians, higher government officials and India’s top corporate houses.

The advocate alleged that he had filed a complaint with the Prime Minister’s Office on 1 June and then again on 9 June but till date no action been taken. He hasn’t received any response either.

In his plea, Uppal has also sought that Al Basit Khan, an ex-Essar employee who first approached him regarding the issue and later turned hostile, be produced before the court as he is a “material witness.”

(With PTI inputs)