Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat addresses a press conference in Dehradun on Tuesday, May 31, 2016. (Press Trust of India photo)
In a partial relief to Chief Minister Harish Rawat, the Uttarakhand High Court today directed CBI not to take any coercive steps against him in the course of its preliminary inquiry into the case relating to the sting operation in which he is purportedly shown striking a financial deal with rebel Congress legislators.
Hearing Mr Rawat's writ petition seeking quashing of a notification issued during President's Rule in Uttarakhand which had recommended a CBI probe into the case, the single bench of Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia of the high court asked the investigating agency not to take any coercive measures against the chief minister during its preliminary inquiry into the case.
It asked both CBI and Mr Rawat to file their affidavits and rejoinders, if any, together by June 8 and set June 20 as the next date of hearing in the case.
The high court also asked Mr Rawat to co-operate fully with CBI in its preliminary inquiry into the case.
On May 20, Justice Sarvesh Gupta of the high court had refused to quash the notification recommending a CBI probe into the sting operation against Mr Rawat saying it was not possible at this stage.
The high Court also questioned the authority of the state Cabinet which had withdrawn a notification recommending CBI probe into the sting CD soon after Mr Rawat was reinstated into office.
Mr Rawat has already appeared once before CBI in Delhi in connection with the sting CD in which he has been purportedly shown negotiating a monetary deal to buy the support of disgruntled Congress legislators at the height of the political crisis in the state in March this year.