CD row: Demands Shanti Bhushan's ouster from Lokpal panel

New Delhi, April 21: The CD controversy involving eminent lawyer Shanti Bhushan took a new turn today (April 21) with a government forensic lab refuting his claims that it was doctored triggering demands for his resignation from the joint committee to draft Lokpal Bill.

The forensic analysis conducted by Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) located here has said "there is continuity in the conversation".

"Recorded conversation is in continuity, no abrupt change in speech signal has been detected," police sources said quoting from the report. They also said there was no no change in background voice pattern.

The purported telephone conversation among Shanti Bhushan, Yadav and Singh suggested attempts being made at influencing a judge.

However, S R Singh, Director of Truth Labs, which conducted its tests on behalf of Bhushan, maintained that he would stand by the report he had given that it was doctored.

The conversation had "multiple gaps and signs of electronic editing at very very critical places", Singh had said in his report.

The CD and its transcript were shown to complainant Shashi Bhushan, who is co-chairperson of the joint committee to draft the Lok Pal Bill, and got it countersigned by Bhushan before it was given to the lab for testing, they said.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said the case has been transfered to the special cell for investigations.

Sources said they may call in Bhushan for questioning in connection with the case. They also said the genuineness of the CD can be conclusively proved if they can find the original CD and compare it with the audio files.

The new report triggered a fresh round of war of words with Amar Singh demanding the resignation of Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan from the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill while civil society members raised doubts over the forensic test reports.

PTI