MOS Gavit gets a clean chit

New Delhi, Aug 25 (UNI) Minister of State for Home Manikrao Gavit has been absolved of all the charges levelled in a TV expose.

Announcing this in the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the inquiry held into the allegations established that it the voice, purportedly of the minister talking to a jailed don, was not that of Mr Gavit.

Mr Patil said further investigation to ascertain how the undertrial had a telephone inside the jail and with whom he actually held the conversation was still on and he would come back to the House as soon as the probe was completed.

The Home Minister agreed with Leader of the Opposition L.K.

Advani's suggestion that there should be norms for sting operations also.

He said priority however had been given to ascertain whether it was Mr Gavit's voice or not as Mr Gavit had been staying away from the House and wanted the probe to be over by August 25.

Agreeing with Mr Patil's observation, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said that since Mr Gavit had been absolved, they should formally invite him to resume his attendance.

Mr Advani earlier pointed out that the moment they had seen the clipping on the TV, they immediately felt that it could not be the voice of Mr Gavit, who in fact got maligned in the whole exercise.

It was however agreed that a probe be instituted to go into the Zee TV channel claim that it was not a sting operation but was part of an official surveillance.

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