Ashok Gehlot Aide Appears Before Delhi Police In Phone-Tapping Case

Lokesh Sharma, the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Rajasthan Chief Minister, on Monday appeared before Delhi Police for questioning in connection with a phone-tapping case stemming from the July 2020 political crisis in the state, officials said.

Mr Sharma appeared before the city police's Crime Branch unit on Monday, a senior officer said.

The Delhi Police had served a notice on Mr Sharma -- the OSD to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot -- asking him to appear for questioning in the case.

The notice was issued days before Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear the Crime Branch's application seeking vacating of an interim order staying coercive action against Mr Sharma.

Hearing on the Crime Branch application and a petition by Mr Sharma seeking quashing of the FIR against him is scheduled for February 20.

On March 25, 2021, the Delhi Police registered an FIR against Sharma for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and unlawfully intercepting telegraphic signals (telephonic conversation) on a complaint lodged by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the BJP MP from Jodhpur.

According to sources, this is the sixth notice to Mr Sharma under Section 41.1 (A) of the CrPC.

Mr Sharma has appeared for questioning twice -- on December 6, 2021, and May 14, 2022 -- and submitted reasons for not being able to appear on three other dates.

The phone-tapping controversy dates to the July 2020 political crisis in Congress-ruled Rajasthan.

Audio clips of alleged telephonic conversations between Mr Shekhawat and Congress leaders surfaced amid a rebellion against Mr Gehlot by his then-deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 party MLAs supporting him.

It was claimed that Mr Sharma circulated the purported clips about an alleged conspiracy to topple the Congress government.

Mr Sharma has dismissed the allegations.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)