Indira Gandhi had lost the elections on October 3, 1977, i.e. 46 years ago. Janata Party government had been formed. Many prominent leaders of the ruling party were full of anger. He wanted to see Indira Gandhi in jail as soon as possible. There was anger in his mind regarding the atrocities committed during the Emergency. The search began for some case in which Indira Gandhi could be arrested. After several days of preparation, the government decided to arrest him in the jeep scam.
Home Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh was leading the entire matter. Many leaders of the ruling party also wanted Indira to go behind the bars as soon as possible.
Bring handcuffs, don't be afraid of arrest
According to the fixed program, in the evening CBI officer NK Singh reached Indira Gandhi's residence with his team. She was meeting people. NK Singh met Indira Gandhi's personal secretary RK Dhawan. NK Singh told Dhawan that he could tell the purpose of coming only to Indira Gandhi and not to him. Dhawan indicated to sit and went to inform Indira Gandhi.
After some time Indira Gandhi came. When NK Singh told her the purpose of coming, she got angry. Then she calmed down and said okay, she will arrest her. You bring handcuffs. She is not afraid of arrest. Wait for a while. After some time she came out and sat in the fixed car. This squad took him to Kings Way Camp Police Lines and kept him in the Officer Guest House there. There were already instructions not to handcuff him, to take his belongings at the time of arrest and to have a separate car for him.
Congress got lifeline from the arrest
Next morning, when Indira Gandhi was presented before the magistrate, she asked the police for proof of the scam, which the police could not provide. The government lawyer argued that the FIR was lodged only yesterday and then the arrest was made. Time is needed for proof. The magistrate dismissed the entire case. She was released and came home. This incident gave life to Congress. People forgot the pain of Emergency.
Became Prime Minister for the fourth time
An atmosphere began to develop in favor of Indira Gandhi. When elections were held in 1980, she once again became Prime Minister for the fourth time with majority. Later this arrest became famous by the name of Operation Balunder. After this arrest, the Janata Party leadership which wanted to corner Indira Gandhi by accusing her of corruption, was shattered.
What was the jeep scam?
The entire government wanted to see Indira in jail but charges were not found against her. PM Morarji Desai did not want any mistake in his arrest. Then the entire machinery was installed. After much investigation, the matter of purchase of jeep was resolved. Everyone became happy. Dates of FIR and arrest fixed. First October 1st was decided then it was found that that day was Saturday. It was not considered a good day. Gandhi Jayanti was celebrated on 2nd October.
Then the time of October 3 was fixed with the consent of the Home Minister. Indira Gandhi was accused of purchasing 100 jeeps for Rae Bareli elections not from party funds but through industrialists. On this basis alone, many leaders including Home Minister Charan Singh, Lal Krishna Advani finalized the plan to arrest him.
Indira Gandhi came out within a few hours
The preparations were so light that Indira Gandhi came out within a few hours. The magistrate dismissed the case itself. The result was that the case could not be discussed. In such a situation, it could not be known with which fund the 100 jeeps were actually purchased.
This case was an example of how officers are ready to work at the behest of those in power. There is also strong evidence that the judiciary was not under the pressure of power at that time, otherwise the case in which the PM, HM is taking interest, in which the senior CBI officer has gone to arrest, would have been dismissed by the standing magistrate. This rarely happens.
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