Dehradun: The CBI has asked Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat to appear before it on May 24 for questioning in connection with the alleged sting operation involving the Congress leader.
The CBI had summoned Rawat on May 5, too, for questioning after he was shown in the “sting” allegedly offering money to rebel Congress lawmakers to win their support during a floor test in the 70-member house. The floor test never took place.
Officials of the investigating had said they would go ahead with their probe into the alleged sting as the Uttarakhand government’s decision to withdraw the recommendation for such a probe had been found “legally untenable”.
The “sting” video was shot by a Noida-based private TV channel, Samachar Plus, and released by the rebel Congress legislators who crossed over to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.
The BJP had alleged that Rawat had tried to buy back the support of his own lawmakers who rebelled against him. Rawat has denied the allegation, saying he was being framed.
The union home ministry sent a CD of the video to the forensics laboratory in Chandigarh to examine its authenticity.
A source in the Central Bureau of Investigation said the forensic report “confirmed” that the CD was genuine and “undoctored”, after “which Harish Rawat was asked to appear on Monday for questioning”.
The source said CBI officials have also questioned property developer-turned-journalist Umesh Kumar, who claimed to have carried out the sting operation.
“Umesh accepted he conducted the sting operation,” the source told IANS.
(IANS inputs)
