With Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat allegedly remaining “evasive” during two rounds of questioning in connection with a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) relating to a sting video case involving alleged bribery, the CBI is planning to convert it into a regular case for seeking his “custodial interrogation”.
The sting case relates to alleged bribery and bribe proposal through purported negotiation with middlemen to strike a deal with the dissident Congress MlAs and a Minister to seek favourable voting in the State Assembly in March 2016.
According to internal agency documents accessed by The Pioneer, Rawat, prime accused in the case, was evasive during questioning on May 24 and June 7 and custodial interrogation is required to proceed further in the prosecution.
This apart, the agency is planning Rawat’s custodial interrogation based on the “forensic evidence clearly pointing to his involvement in the sting video”. Since Rawat is a sitting Chief Minister, intervention from the PMO and Union Home Ministry too has been sought, top sources said.
Apart from the forensic evidence, the CBI has also recorded the statements of four witnesses in the case, including that of principal witness Umesh Kumar, CEO of Samachar Plus television channel and it’s Managing Director Amitabh Agnihotry. The two other witnesses are Sumit Saxena and Deepak Rana. The sting was conducted by Samachar Plus and the CD was released on March 26 this year.
Sources said Rawat has been summoned for questioning again on Tuesday.
The CBI had registered the PE on April 20, 2016 following request from the State Government under the President’s rule. When the Harish Rawat Government was restored following an order from the Supreme Court, the State Government sought to scrap the PE registered by the CBI. However, the Uttarakhand High Court rejected the request for quashing the PE.
Officials said a serving CM can be arrested in a corruption case without prior sanction from the Governor.
Two days before Rawat was to face the vote of confidence on March 28, rebel Congress MlAs led by former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna alleged that they were offered bribe by Rawat for support during the floor test in the Assembly and released a video of a “sting” operation purportedly showing Rawat negotiating with middlemen.