Instances of bugging in high profile offices are generally accompanied by interesting conspiracy theories. Some of them are bizarre, others believable. However, all of them have a short shelf life—these are hushed up soon after they surface—but they are entertaining while they last.
In September 2010, when no less that 16 adhesive type gum sticks were detected in all important rooms of the finance ministry, including three under Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s table, the immediate suspect was Home Minister P Chidambaram, Mukherjee’s predecessor. As the rumour mills went on the overdrive, making not-so-subtle hints at the involvement of the former, it made for engrossing stuff.
There was reason to be believe what we heard. Chidambaram, was not too happy at being shifted from his favourite ministry and he had too many differences with Mukherjee. If the bugging was done at his behest, there was some motive involved. Mukherjee himself had added to the suspense by assigning CBDT the debugging job instead of the Intelligence Bureau, which functions under Chdambaram’s home ministry. CBDT used the services of a private detective agency.
Decoding the bug mystery. Image courtesy PIB
The controversy generated some political heat but it died a slow death after both leaders avoided a public show of animosity. The whole episode was interesting while it lasted. The case of the bugging at Antony’s office gives rise to no immediate spicy theories. Linking it with the recent stand-off between Army chief VK Singh and the defence ministry does not make sense. At least the motive, if at all the Army has a role, does not come out too strong.
Now, that the IB has started looking into case and there’s a high-level probe too, expect the issue to go to the back burner slowly. It is normal in New Delhi’s power circles where cases of snooping and eavesdropping are not too uncommon. Only the big ones like the Navy War Room Leak case, where documents stolen from the Navy were leaked to a submarine maker, are followed up seriously.
Sneaky, undercover operators are as much a presence in Delhi as power brokers of all shades. The stakes involved in every decision—political, financial or strategic—are too high. Industry houses are known to engage such operators to get inside information on the government’s decisions and their rivals’ moves. Political leaders resort to them to get information on their rivals within the party and those outside it.
Foreign agencies are known to manipulate officials in sensitive positions to get information. Not long ago, a senior Indian woman diplomat was arrested for passing state secrets to Pakistan’s intelligence agencies. Another top official of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) was also suspected to be involved in spying for Pakistan’s ISI. Celebrities and starlets are used by the foreign agencies as honey traps to snare embassy officials. But these should count as regular espionage countries get involved in as a matter of necessity.
The spying activity that takes place in the power corridors of Delhi is more shocking. According to former IB joint director Maloy Krishna Dhar—writer of Open Secret: India’s Intelligence Unveiled—misuse of IB to spy on political rivals is rampant. An article in the Times of India quoting from Dhar’s book mentions how Dhar and another IB officer had wired up a few of Maneka Gandhi’s friends. The exercise produced “tonnes of appalling information”, he says.
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He also says that former president Zail Singh and former prime minister VP Singh were bugged when they were in office in the 1980s. “The IB did such work a number of times in the past at the instance of political masters of the day. I have recollected only those episodes in my book which I know,” he told Times of India. The recorded tapes on Jail Singh were regularly made available to the then PM Rajiv Gandhi, he added.
A lot of spying is carried out by other intelligence agencies too. While some of them are legally empowered to snoop, much of their activity has illegal ends. Let’s not forget private detective agencies too. They serve as the eyes and ears of influential people who cannot use the services of the government’s agencies.
Rest assured, the issue of bugs at Antony’s office will get buried soon. But for all you know, someone might plant some more snooping devices in more undetectable crannies of the room.
