E-Paper
Phone tapping case: Delhi Police again summon Gehlot’s OSD
The Delhi Police have summoned Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s OSD for questioning for his alleged involvement in a phone tapping case.
The Delhi Police have summoned Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot’s officer on special duty (OSD) Lokesh Sharma for questioning for his alleged involvement in a phone tapping case, registered by Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, people aware of the development said, adding this is the fourth summon issued against Sharma in the case.
Sharma has been asked to appear before the Delhi Police Crime Branch in the national Capital at 11 am on December 6, failing which he has been warned of facing arrest.
According to people cited above, like the third notice, the Delhi Police have sent the fourth summon under Section 41.1 (A) of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) reiterating that failure to attend/comply with the terms of the notice can render him liable for arrest under Section 41 A (3) and (4) of the CrPC.
The first two notices were sent under Section 160 of the CrPC, which empowers a police officer to enforce the attendance of witnesses in any case.
After receiving the third notice on November 12, Sharma, apprehending arrest, had approached the Delhi high court requesting an early hearing of his petition for quashing of the FIR against him. The Delhi Police assured the court that no coercive action would be taken against the OSD till further orders.
However, Sharma failed to appear before the police on all three occasions, citing personal reasons.
The Crime Branch’s first notice had asked Sharma to appear before it on July 24, second on October 22 and third on November 12 for questioning.
The Delhi Police had registered a first information report (FIR) against Sharma on charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and unlawfully intercepting telegraphic signals (telephonic conversation), based on the complaint by Shekhawat, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Jodhpur in Rajasthan.
The phone-tapping controversy erupted in July last year after audio clips of purported telephonic conversations between Shekhawat and Congress leaders had surfaced amid a rebellion against Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot by his then deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 party MLAs supporting him.
Shekhawat has alleged that Sharma circulated the audio clips purportedly having a conversation about the conspiracy to topple the Congress government.
Sharma has rejected allegations of phone tapping.
