The special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police has done a U-turn about the three first information reports (FIRs) registered in July related to the toppling of the Ashok Gehlot-led government by requesting a local court to transfer the investigation to the anti-corruption bureau (ACB).
“We have requested the court to transfer the investigation to the ACB because the preliminary probe has revealed that the charges of inducement of Rajasthan Assembly lawmakers cannot be categorised as sedition. More details will be shared soon,” said Ashok Rathore, additional director general of police (ADGP), SOG, Rajasthan Police.
The SOG has registered three FIRS on the basis of complaints filed by the chief whip of Rajasthan Assembly, Mahesh Joshi, which pertained to horse-trading allegedly aimed at dislodging the Gehlot government in Rajasthan.
The first FIR was registered on July 10, in which the two accused, Ashok Jain from Banswara and Bharat Malani, were arrested and are in judicial custody.
The second and third FIRs were registered on July 17.
In the second FIR, Bhanwarlal Sharma, one of the 18 dissident Congress lawmakers, who is backing the sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, a businessman-turned-political fixer Sanjay Jain and one Gajendra Singh were booked.
{{/usCountry}}In the second FIR, Bhanwarlal Sharma, one of the 18 dissident Congress lawmakers, who is backing the sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, a businessman-turned-political fixer Sanjay Jain and one Gajendra Singh were booked.
{{/usCountry}}On July 17, the ACB also registered a case against the three accused, who were booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988.
Vivek Bajwa, the counsel for Jain, said that the SOG has filed an application in the chief judicial magistrate’s court that the shreds of evidence found to date are not applicable under Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, and the ACB could be entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the probe.
He also demanded Jain’s bail on the ground that the charges levelled against his client are a bailable offence.
“We have requested the court that the SOG FIRs only related to criminal conspiracy, a bailable offence. We have requested the court to grant bail to my client, Sanjay Jain,” Bajwa added.