Wrong number: Ex-DVAC suspended in phone-tapping controversy

Chennai, Jul 18 (UNI) In a sudden development, the Tamil Nadu Government suspended ADGP and Former Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption S K Upadhyaya, who was involved in a phone-tapping controversy, late last night.

The suspension of the senior police official comes a couple of days after the Justice Shanmugham Commission which probed the phone- tapping episode submitted its final report to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

The suspension orders were served on him a day after the Tamil Nadu Cabinet discussed the Commission's report and decided to table the government's response during the next session of the State Assembly.

Two other people, employed with the DVAC, were also placed under suspension along with Mr Upadhyaya, who was shunted out as DVAC Director and kept on waiting without any posting on May 19, a day after the Commission submitted its interim report.

Mr Upadhyaya came under fire after a transcript of his telephonic conversation with Chief Secretary L K Tripathy, involving a high profile case of AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa, was published in a section of the press, creating a furore among the political parties.

Yet another controversy dogged Mr Upadhyaya when Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy released to the media the telephonic conversation between Mr Upadhyaya and Social Welfare Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna. She subsequently resigned from the State Cabinet.

The transcript pertained to the Minister's conversation with Mr Upadhyaya with regard to a corruption case against her relative employed with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.

UNI GV SB HT1248