Delhi Police summon Rajasthan CM's OSD for 4th time in phone tapping case

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's OSD Lokesh Sharma has been summoned by Delhi Police in connection with the Rajasthan phone tapping case. OSD Lokesh Sharma will appear before Delhi Crime Branch for questioning before noon.

Jaipur (Rajasthan): The Delhi police summoned Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Lokesh Sharma in connection with the illegal phone tapping case. Sharma is likely to appear before the Delhi Crime Branch for questioning at 11am on Monday.

The summon to Sharma has been issued by the Crime Branch of Delhi police for the fourth time, this time, too, warning him that he would be liable to be arrested in case he fails to appear before the police for questioning.

The first summons was sent on July 24, the second on October 22 and the third was sent to him on November 12, but Sharma failed to appear before the crime branch all three times, citing personal reasons.

Like the previous third notice, the Crime Branch has sent the fourth notice under Section 41.1 (A) of 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.

The Delhi police had registered the FIR in March this year against Sharma on charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and unlawfully intercepting telegraphic signals (telephonic conversation) based on a complaint lodged by Shekhawat, the BJP MP from Jodhpur.

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The phone-tapping controversy had erupted in July last year in Rajasthan after audio clips of purported telephonic conversations between Shekhawat and Congress leaders had surfaced amid a rebellion against Chief Minister Gehlot by his then deputy Sachin Pilot and 18 party MLAs supporting him.

It was alleged that Lokesh Sharma had circulated the audio clips purportedly having a conversation about the conspiracy to topple the Congress government.

On the basis of the audio clips, chief whip Mahesh Joshi had lodged complaints with the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of the Rajasthan Police in July last year but the FIRs did not mention that Gajendra Singh referred to in the clip was Union minister Shekhawat.

The SOG later closed the case after the Congress high command intervened to resolve the issues between Gehlot and Pilot.

Sharma has rejected allegations of phone tapping.

(Agency inputs)