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The alleged plan to eliminate Tehelka.com managing director and editor Tarun Tejpal and his colleague Annirudh Bahl was intended to discredit the central government and influence the on-going poll process in five states in the country, the Delhi police said.
Special Commissioner (Intelligence) S Ramakrishna on Sunday said, "Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence hatched this plot to destabilise the government" and claimed that the six persons arrested in this connection were ISI agents.
Brief newspersons at a crowded press conference in Delhi, Ramakrishna said that the attack on the Tehelka editor and his colleague was so timed that it would have an impact on the polls in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, West Bengal and Pondicherry.
The plot was hatched in Nepal, he informed.
"We had got information that some criminals would target Tarun Tejpal around this time and try to destabilise the central government as Tehelka.com had recently exposed the corruption in defence deals."
"Hence, any harm to Tejpal or Annirudh Bahl would have an adverse effect on the outcome of the polls and the central government. It would destabilise the government," Ramakrishna said.
"Our investigation led us to a man code-named Modi, who turned out to be Bhupinder Tyagi," he told newspersons.
According to Ramakrishna, a man code-named Jain had hired Tyagi and promised to pay him Rs one million for eliminating Tejpal and Bahl.
"We intercepted a Tata Safari at Mukarba Chowk near Jahangirpuri in north Delhi around 1630 hours (IST) on Saturday and arrested Bhupinder Tyagi and his associates - Anil, Rajkumar alias Kapoor (residents of Bawana), Ombir (resident of village Poothkalan, Delhi), Dinesh Tyagi alias Titoo and Rakesh alias Lala," Ramakrishna said.
"One fully loaded .30 Chinese-made pistol and nine live cartridges were recovered from Tyagi. One AK 47 rifle, two magazines and 100 rounds of 7.62 calibre were found in a bag kept in the vehicle. One spare magazine of a .30 pistol and 41 rounds were recovered along with a bullet-proof jacket, a driving licence prepared in the name of Kamal Kant Modi, issued from Mathura."
"Also recovered was the lay out plan of the office and residence of Tarun Tejpal and photographs of Tejpal and Annirudh Bahl," Ramakrishna informed the mediapersons.
He, however, refused to give any categorical answer if this 'Jain' had anything to do with the Jain who has been mentioned in the Tehelka tapes. "We had no time to ask this sort of questions to the accused," Ramakrishna said.
The police was planning to upgrade the security given to Tejpal. He has already been given Z category security, he added.
A case was registered in the Lodhi Colony police station and the arrested persons produced before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate M C Gupta. They were remanded to police custody till May 19, police sources said.
When contacted, both Tejpal and Bahl told rediff.com that they were aware of the arrests but refused to comment on the matter.
"Yes, I am aware of the arrests. But the police have not given me the details. A couple of days back, the deputy commissioner in-charge of security came to my residence and office and reviewed the security arrangements," Tejpal told rediff.com.
"There was a flurry of activity. They have given me Z category security as they feel that there is a threat to my life. I have personally received no threatening calls. I do not let this bother me. They do their work and I do mine," he added.
Annirudh Bahl, editor (investigations), said that he too had heard about the arrests. "In December 2000, I had applied for an arms licence, which I have not got till date. Maybe now they would give me one," he said.
COMPLETE COVERAGE The defence deals scandal
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