The central government has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to limit its probe to the bribery aspect of the Tehelka case.
The Tehelka tapes showed former BJP President Bangaru Laxman accepting wads of cash.
A communication was received from the department of personnel and training asking the CBI to limit its probe, ministry sources have said.
In October, Union Law Minister H R Bhardwaj had announced the Centre's decision to wind up the Phukan Commission probing the Tehelka expose and hand over the probe to the CBI.
This would enable the CBI to carry out a probe against Laxman and some of the army officials who were shown on the tape purportedly taking bribe and other forms of illegal gratification.
The then Samata Party president Jaya Jaitley also figures in the tape, but she is not shown taking any money.
The Phukan Commission was scrapped on October 4. The government is understood to have concluded that the erstwhile NDA government had "misdirected" the inquiry to "shield" then defence minister George Fernandes.
