Phone tapping case: Delhi Police question Rajasthan CM’s OSD for 4 hours, summon him again on Wednesday

Talking to journalists after his questioning Tuesday, Sharma said, “This was my eight notice (to appear before the police). Out of these eight, I have appeared on five occasions and given my written reply earlier for the three times I was unable to (be present).”

He said that for most of the questioning, he is being asked similar questions and being “unnecessarily troubled” as “lagatar ek he tarah ke sawaal hain, ek he tarah ki baatein hai (it’s always the same questions, the same things)”.

“I have always said that I have no direct connection with the phone tapping issue. I received audio clips through social media and circulated them because in the conversations, there was a conspiracy to topple an elected government; a conspiracy — in a democracy — where there was talk of toppling an elected government through exchange of money. Hence, I found it apt to share it with the public through the media and that’s what I did,” Sharma said.

“About nine months later Gajendra Singh Shekhawat felt that his image was being maligned and lodged an FIR (in 2021),” he said, adding that the FIR by Shekhawat clearly states that his telephonic conversations were illegally intercepted and circulated. “I did not intercept any telephonic conversation,” Sharma reiterated.

In 2020, the leaked audio tapes allegedly involving one Gajendra Singh, Sanjay Jain, as well as Congress MLAs Bhanwarlal Sharma and Vishvendra Singh had led to a political crisis in Rajasthan, with then deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot leading a rebellion of 19 Congress MLAs.

Then in 2021, the state government had virtually accepted that phones were tapped during the period the state was witnessing a political crisis, leading to an FIR by Shekhawat.

The March 2021 FIR by Shekhawat in New Delhi against Sharma and others accused them of criminal conspiracy and “unlawfully intercepting telegraphic signals (telephonic conversation)”. The FIR was lodged under IPC Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant) and 120 (concealing design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment) read with sections of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the IT Act, 2000.

Sharma said that going by the contents of the FIR, Shekhawat has virtually confirmed that it is indeed his voice in the conversation. “That is why he has lodged an FIR against me. So should a Union Minister, who is involved in the conspiracy to topple an elected government not be punished for it?” he said, adding that the state agencies in Rajasthan should take this into consideration in their investigation as, going by the FIR, Shekhawat has accepted that it is his voice.

Sources close to Sharma said that Wednesday, he has been asked to appear along with his mobile phone.

Reacting to Sharma’s questioning, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Tuesday, “What is Lokesh Sharma’s fault? You (Shekhawat) are involved in the conspiracy to topple the government; the voice is yours; the voice in recording is of Gajendra Shekhawat ji. But you are unnecessarily troubling Lokesh Sharma. You were involved in the conspiracy but you could not topple the government and hence you have a nagging. So, by using your influence, you are lodging fake cases. The truth is with us and the final victory will be of truth.”

So far, Sharma has been protected by the Delhi High Court order which had prevented Delhi Police from taking any coercive action against him.