E-Paper
Rajasthan political crisis: ACB files case against another rebel Cong lawmaker
“A case has been registered against Sardarshahr MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, Gajendra Singh and Sanjay Jain under Section 7 (public servant accepts or attempts to take bribe) and 7A (public servant obtaining undue advantage) of the PC Act, 1988, on the basis of a complaint filed by chief whip of Rajasthan assembly, Mahesh Joshi,” said an Anti-corruption Bureau official.
The Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) on Saturday registered a case against rebel Congress lawmaker from Sardarshahr Bhanwarlal Sharma, one Gajendra Singh and power broker Sanjay Jain under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988.
Sharma, who has since been suspended by the Congress, belongs to sacked Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot’s camp and is allegedly one of the kingpins to make a concerted bid to dislodge the Ashok Gehlot-led government.
A day earlier these three persons were booked by the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police on the basis of a complaint filed by the chief whip of Rajasthan assembly Mahesh Joshi.
“A case has been registered against Sardarshahr MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, Gajendra Singh and Sanjay Jain under Section 7 (public servant accepts or attempts to take bribe) and 7A (public servant obtaining undue advantage) of the PC Act, 1988, on the basis of a complaint filed by chief whip of Rajasthan assembly, Mahesh Joshi,” said an ACB official.
The basis of the complaint is the surfacing of three incriminating audiotapes on Thursday evening, which quickly went viral on social media amid the uncertain fate of the Ashok Gehlot-led government following a protracted power tussle with Congress rebel Pilot’s faction.
In one of the audiotapes, a rebel Congress lawmaker, who Joshi claims to be Sharma, is purportedly talking to a middleman and a person named Gajendra Singh about toppling the Gehlot government.
The ACB official said Joshi has identified Sharma because he has been familiar with his voice, as he has been associated with the party for many years. However, he has been unable to identify the two accused.
“His complaint was based on the three audiotapes of purported conversations that elaborate the bid to destabilise the Gehlot government,” the official added.
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the three audiotapes.
While lawmaker Sharma, who is the eye of the raging political controversy, is incommunicado, as his mobile phone is switched off.
The SOG arrested Sanjay Jain alias Sanjay Bardia late at night on Friday on charges of toppling the Congress-led government.
“Jain was arrested under section 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of Indian Penal Code (IPC),” said a SOG official.
While in another audiotape, Vishvendra Singh, who is also a Pilot supporter and a member of the Rajasthan legislative assembly (MLA), can be heard purportedly speaking to another agent in his bid to topple the Gehlot government.
It could be heard that one person is talking about more legislators are needed to dislodge the Gehlot government and another person exuded confidence that the current dispensation would not last long.
Another conversation estimated that the Gehlot government’s longevity is not more than 10-15 days.
The SOG is also investigating another case related to sedition against two persons, who have been arrested, on the basis of intercepts of two mobile phones that pertain to an alleged bid to oust the Gehlot government.
