Rajasthan Crisis: SOG and ACB intensifies investigation against conspiracy to topple govt

Amid the on-going political tussle in Rajasthan, SOG and ACB have initiated their investigation process after complaints were received that attempts were being made to topple the Gehlot government by luring the legislators. Sedition charges were also slapped against Ashok Singh Chauhan and Bharat Malani over alleged criminal conspiracy to destabilise the present state government.

Jaipur: Hours after the pleas of Bharat Malani and Ashok Singh Chauhan were dismissed in the Court, who were arrested by Special Operations Group(SOG) in connections with alleged attempts to topple Rajasthan Congress, new revelations have surfaced amid the brewing political crisis. Voice samples of the accused duo will be accumulated and matched with recordings of intercepted phone conversations in which they can be purportedly heard discussing the formation of BJP govt in the state.

Sedition charges were also slapped against the two accused over alleged criminal conspiracy to destabilise the present state government.

Malani and Chauhan were picked up from Udaipur and Ajmer after SOG intercepted their call records after Chief Minister Ashok had accused BJP of indulging in horse-trading and trying to topple the state government by offering them Rs 10-15 crore to lure them.

The call records of the accused came under the scanner after SOG had learned that they might also be linked to a mafia dealing in arms and explosives.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) had also initiated a probe against three independent MLAs for their alleged involvement in offering money to a few of their counterparts to destabilise the state government. According to official sources, the probe has been launched against Om Prakash Hudla (Mahuwa), Suresh Tak (Kishangarh), and Khushveer Singh (Marwar).

READ: Congress deboards Pilot, sacks him as deputy CM

"Initial investigation revealed that these three independent MLAs approached Banswara and Dungarpur MLAs and offered them crores of rupees in an attempt to topple the state government."

"We have started an investigation against three independent MLAs who were indulged in horse-trading and MLA poaching. We will get the call records and take the probe further. We are gathering facts and evidence as to further the investigation process," sources said.

Meanwhile, Congress sacked Sachin Pilot from Party positions after he skipped two Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meetings. Apart from that, two other absentee MLAs Vishvender Singh and Ramesh Meena have also been dropped from the Cabinet. (With agency inputs)