Nothing found in probe into security breach: Pranab

After startling revelations of a possible security breach in his office came to the fore, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said that investigating agencies found nothing during their probe at his office.

Addressing reporters on the sidelines of a function, Mukherjee said, "In respect of the news item, Intelligence Bureau officials investigated it and found nothing."

In September last year, Mukherjee wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him to order a "secret inquiry" about the presence of "planted adhesives" in 16 key locations in his office, a leading English daily had reported.

These locations included the office of Mukherjee, offices of his adviser and private secretary and two conference rooms used by the finance minister.

In his letter, Mukherjee mentioned that no "live microphone" or recording devices were found in his office.

The Intelligence Bureau downplayed the incident, saying that a government forensic lab concluded that these adhesives were a "sort of chewing gum", the newspaper reported. 

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party said that it was a "serious" issue.

"It is a serious matter. If what has come to light is true then it needs to be investigated. This has come at a time when there are so many cases of financial irregularities and scams," BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

He wondered as to who could be behind such an act, saying, "Pranab Mukherjee is no. 2 in the Cabinet. This raises a lot of disturbing questions".