MUMBAI: What appeared to be just a call detail record leak is turning out to be a big racket involving tracking of VIP numbers and blackmailing racket, officers involved in the investigations have said.
India’s first lady detective, Rajani Pandit, was arrested by Thane police last Friday after it was revealed that she used mobile call detail records (CDR) in some of the cases she handled. However, during the probe the cops found details of some VVIP numbers with her. Hence, the cops have widened the probe to expose a nexus involved in blackmailing and extortion.
Six more detectives too are arrested in the case and involvement of some police officials too is suspected, officers involved in the probe told the New Indian Express on conditions of anonymity. Seven telecom service operators and four insurance companies too are being probed in connection with the case.
“We are probing it from various angles. Insiders of the cell phone companies can only make the CDRs available. Hence, we are on a lookout for such employees. We are also trying to find out role of some of the policemen in the entire nexus,” said Thane Police Commissioner Parambir Singh.
Police officials involved in the investigations said that detailed investigations are being done.
“We have recovered a list of 16 VIPs from the accused. The numbers were obtained by paying bribes. But, they have not revealed why they obtained the numbers. The information might have been used for blackmailing. Hence, we now want to know with whom the private detective was in touch with as part of the professional duties,” police officials said, adding that they are also probing the phone directories of all the suspects in the case.
The officials are also planning to speak to the people whose CDRs were found in their possession - whether they were blackmailed or was money was being extorted from them.
Pandit (54), who is the daughter of a former police officer, has written two books- Faces Behind Faces and Mayajal. She is the subject of a documentary film made by director-writer Dinkar Rao, titled- “Lady James Bond”.