Mathew Samuel

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Mathew Samuel
Photo Of Mathew Samuel
Born 1971
Kerala, India
Nationality Indian
Citizenship India
Occupation Journalist
Years active 1997 onwards

Mathew Samuel is a Delhi-based journalist who, as Tehelka's special correspondent and with reporter Aniruddha Bahal, took part in the sting operation "Operation West End", which led to the resignation of four senior ministers of the National Democratic Alliance and it nearly brought down the Alliance-led government of India in 2001.[1]

Career

Early life

Mathew Samuel was born in a traditional Christian family in Pathanapuram, Kerala. He had gone for graduation at St Stephens college Pathanapuram, was active in politics, and was the college union secretary. He was so involved in politics that he failed to obtain the minimum attendance required to sit for graduation exams.

After that he went to Delhi and worked for Mangalam newspaper and Midday for a short period. Later he joined Tehelka as a staff reporter.[2]

Operation West End

The Operation West End sting was the brain child of Mathew Samuel. He got the beginning of the story on a train journey in which one of his co-passenger turned out to be a supplier for Defense Canteens. The sting operation lasted for about 8 months and revealed involvement of public figures in corruption. Samuel met approximately 60 people which includes arms dealers, exposing corruption in the high level.[1][3][4]

The public figures involved were George Fernandes (Defense Minister),[5] Bangaru Laxman (BJP president), Jaya Jaitley (president of the Samatha Party), R K Jain (treasurer of Samatha Party),[6] R K Sharma (treasurer of RSS), General Manjith Singh Aluvalia,[7] Major General P S K Chowdhary,[8] General R K Murge, General Satnam Singh,[9] Brigadier Iqbal Singh,[9] Colonel Anil Saigal, H C Panth, P Sasi, Surender Kumar Surekha.

There were 105 tapes.[10] Mathew alone shot 99 tapes; the rest were shot with his colleague.[3]

Aftermath

The day after Operation Westend tapes were made public, Samuel's landlord throw him out of his house. His wife Annie, who was working in a private firm, had to resign her job because of the harassment of CBI and IB officials in her office in the name of enquiry. Officers from IB even went to his village in Kerala and questioned his father.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "After Eleven Years, It Stings To Say This...". Out Look. 
  2. ↑ "Tehelka Sting Operator Comes Clean!". The Christian Messenger News Desk. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Trehan, Madhu (2009). Tehelka as metaphor : prism me a lie, tell me a truth. New Delhi: Roli Books. ISBN 9788174365804. 
  4. ↑ Tully, Sir Mark (2003). India In Slow Motion. Penguin Books. ISBN 9780670885589. 
  5. ↑ KAUR, NAUNIDHI. "Fernandes under fire". 
  6. ↑ "R K Jain arrested five years after Tehelka expose". Outlook. 
  7. ↑ "The Sting That Has India Writhing". The New York Times. 
  8. ↑ "Major General shown the door in Tehelka case". The Times of India. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Tehelka case: Army finds 3 officers guilty". Times of India. 
  10. ↑ "Of WikiLeaks, Tehelka And Righteous Media". Youth Ki Awaz. 

External links

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