The CBI on Tuesday questioned Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s OSD Devaram Saini in connection with the alleged suicide of SHO Vishnudutt Vishnoi of Rajgarh police station in Churu district on May 23.
Saini’s questioning comes a day after the agency quizzed Olympian Congress MLA from Sadulpur (Churu) Krishna Poonia, who had reportedly complained against the SHO. Following Poonia’s representation to the CM’s office, Saini is said to have issued some instructions to the police. Saini was quizzed on the letter written by him to the police on Poonia’s representation against the SHO before his alleged suicide, sources said.
Poonia was quizzed for three hours at her residence at Vaishali Nagar in Jaipur on Monday, they said.
A CBI team of officials of the Special Crimes Unit (SCU) headed by a Superintendent of Police from the agency headquarters here had reached Jaipur on Monday and is likely to return to Delhi on Wednesday, sources said, adding more suspects will be summoned subsequently.
They said the evidence gathered so far will be analysed before further action against the suspects is undertaken.
Saini was asked to appear before the CBI office in Jaipur at 10 am and his questioning lasted for over an hour.
Vishnoi’s body was found hanging from the ceiling of his official residence in Churu and the case was handed over to the CBI on June 5 by the State Government.
The CBI move involving questioning of a Congress MLA and an official linked to Gehlot comes in the backdrop of political turbulence in the Rajasthan Government following Sachin Pilot’s rebellion and his subsequent sacking as Deputy CM.
While Poonia and Saini are not named as accused in the case but they are under the scanner as per the preliminary suspicion in the matter. However, a final picture will emerge only after the nature of evidence gathered in relation to the ongoing probe, they said.
In his complaint to the police, Vishnoi’s brother had alleged that the deceased SHO was under pressure which led him to take this extreme step.
Two suicide notes were recovered from Vishnoi, one addressed to his parents seeking forgiveness for his action and the other to the Superintendent of Police of Churu in which he had said he was unable able to bear the pressure put on him. In his suicide note, Vishnoi had also said that he tried to give his best to the Rajasthan Police.