Hours after four men were handed over to the police for allegedly snooping around ousted CBI Director Alok Verma's residence on Thursday, 25 October, Intelligence Bureau (IB) sources said that their presence was projected incorrectly.
The men, believed to be from the IB, were reportedly seen outside Verma's house early in the morning on Thursday, and were caught around 6 am. They were being questioned by the Delhi police and were taken away in a car. Videos doing the rounds on social media show the men being dragged away.
The IB sources said that the IB unit in question, in the early hours of Thursday, had halted on Janpath, where there was an unusual collection of people.
“This was with a view to check the reason why people had collected at the location. This is a high-security zone where several protectees reside. Unfortunately, their presence was projected otherwise.”IB sources
The sources pointed out that IB sources are routinely deployed on a regular basis in sensitive areas with a view to collect intelligence on situations that may affect public order and internal security.
Earlier, The Wire had reported that the men involved in the alleged snooping are believed to be working under National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
This comes a day after the Department of Personnel and Training sent CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana on leave, amid an escalating feud within India's premier investigation agency. Joint director M Nageshwar Rao was appointed as the interim chief of CBI.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)