A former aide’s statement to Delhi Police in the Rajasthan phone-tapping case can turn the heat on Congress veteran and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Lokesh Sharma was officer-on-special-duty and handled Mr Gehlot’s press relations when he was Chief Minister. In a seven-page statement, he said Mr Gehlot gave him a pen drive on July 16, 2020, and asked him to leak to the media. This was when a group of Congress MLAs led by Sachin Pilot rebelled against the Ashok Gehlot government, almost bringing it down.
Mr Sharma has said he took the pen drive home, downloaded the contents on his laptop, and then transferred them to his phone. He said that when the recordings went viral, he realised they were clips of tapped conversations between the MLAs who had rebelled and some BJP leaders.
Mr Sharma has said he was only following instructions from his boss.
Lokesh Sharma also alleged that the phones of MLAs, both in the Ashok Gehlot camp and the rebel camp, were being tapped during the 2020 crisis.
Lokesh Sharma may shift blame onto Mr Gehlot, but it is not clear if this will help him avoid prosecution. Delhi Police have charged Lokesh for unlawfully intercepting telephonic conversations. He has also alleged a threat to his life and demanded security for him and his family.
During the 2020 political crisis in Rajasthan, some audio recordings went viral. In these clips, it appeared that BJP leaders were talking to Congress MLAs in the Sachin Pilot camp to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led government. Mr Gehlot assigned the case to Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group. BJP leader and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was asked to give a voice sample as it appeared he was one of the people speaking to a Congress MLA. In response, Mr Shekhawat registered an FIR against Lokesh Sharma with the Delhi Police Crime Branch in 2021. The FIR against Lokesh Sharma was filed under the charges of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and unlawful interception of telephonic conversations.
Lokesh Sharma filed a petition with the Delhi High Court in this connection. His statements accusing Mr Gehlot may now spark a political storm in Rajasthan. The former Chief Minister has refrained from commenting on the matter so far.