Friday, September 29 2006 11:18 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Delhi Police has sought the original unedited tapes of the sting operation carried out by Tehelka newsweekly which claimed that witnesses in the Jessica Lall murder case were bribed to change their statements.

"We have requested Tehelka to give us the original tapes of their operation," Delhi Police Special Commissioner Umesh Kumar Katna, who heads the Special Investigation Team probing the case, told sources.

A Delhi Police official had visited the newsweekly's office Thursday (Sept 27,2006) with a letter requesting the original tapes of the sting operation for investigation.

"We will hand over the original, unedited tapes to the police on Monday," Harinder Baweja, Editor, Investigation of Tehelka said.

She said the newsweekly would cooperate with the investigative authorities.

Tehelka had carried out a three-month sting operation against three key witnesses Shayan Munshi, Karan Rajput, and Shiv Das -- who had turned hostile in the ramp model murder case leading to the acquittal of main accused Manu Sharma.

The operation had sought to reveal how money and muscle power was allegedly used to coerce the three witnesses into changing their stand in court despite having given statements to the police accusing Manu Sharma of the crime.