CBI Raids Ex-Bengaluru Police Commissioner Alok Kumar

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday carried out searches at the residence and office of former Bengaluru police commissioner Alok Kumar in connection with the alleged phone-tapping case.

The agency’s action comes after it registered a First Information Report on August 30 into the alleged case, after the Karnataka government, on August 19, ordered a CBI investigation into it.

On Thursday morning, a 20-member CBI team arrived to carry out searches at the premises of Kumar, a senior IPS officer who is currently posted as ADGP, Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP).

The case first came under highlight in early 2018, when several leaders from the state’s then-ruling Congress-Janata Dal coalition alleged that their phones are being tapped by Chief Minister and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy.

Then, just ahead of the Assembly elections, an unproven phone conversation, in which the name of an IPS officer taken, was leaked to media.

BS Yediyurappa in July, became Chief Minister for the third time after the coalition government failed to pass a majority test in the Assembly, handed over the probe to the CBI, after disqualified JD(S) MLA AH Vishwanath, a former Karnataka unit president of the party, accused the Kumaraswamy government of tapping phones of and spying on more than 300 people, including him.

According to reports, phones of those close to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was the head of the coalition coordination committee had also been tapped.