Jaipur : There has been a new twist in the alleged phone tapping case of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday. The Supreme Court on Tuesday accepted the petition filed by the Bhajanlal government of Rajasthan in this case. This case was filed in the Supreme Court during the tenure of the previous Gehlot government of the state. Then the Gehlot government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to stop the Delhi Police from investigating in Rajasthan in the case related to Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s phone tapping.
Delhi Crime Branch will now start the investigation again
But after the change of power in the state last year, the Bhajan Lal government had demanded the cancellation of the petition filed during Gehlot’s tenure on July 20. Which was approved by the Supreme Court on Tuesday. With the approval of this petition, the way has been opened for the Delhi Crime Branch to restart the investigation in this case.
Problems will increase for many including Gehlot’s OSD Lokesh
The state government had filed the petition on the advice of Rajasthan’s Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma. After the Supreme Court accepted Bhajanlal Sarkar’s petition, now the Delhi Crime Branch will start a fresh investigation in this case. In such a situation, the problems of many people including Lokesh Sharma, who was OSD to former CM Ashok Gehlot, will increase in this case.
Shekhawat had filed a case in Delhi Crime Branch
It is known that this case was registered during the tenure of the previous Rajasthan government led by Ashok Gehlot. At that time, there were a lot of political allegations and counter-allegations in this case. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had filed a case against the Gehlot government of Rajasthan in the Delhi Crime Branch. In which he had talked about illegal phone tapping. Shekhawat had lodged an FIR in this case in the Delhi Crime Branch.
Gehlot government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court
Gehlot government had filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the FIR lodged by Shekhawat, saying that the right to investigate the case should be kept with Rajasthan only. Delhi Crime Branch does not have the right to investigate the case. There were one or two hearings in this case. But after the 2023 elections, Congress was out of power in the state.
After which Bhajan Lal Sarkar filed an application to withdraw the petition filed by the state government to stop the investigation of Delhi Crime Branch. Which has been approved by the Supreme Court.
Lokesh Sharma has been questioned earlier as well
In this case, the Delhi Crime Branch has questioned former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s OSD Lokesh Sharma several times.
After the withdrawal of the petition, the investigation of Delhi Crime Branch will gain momentum again. In such a situation, investigation will also begin from other characters of the phone tapping case including Lokesh Sharma.
Government’s argument- Rajasthan has more control over the investigation and the case
Phone tapping In this case, the Rajasthan government argued that only Rajasthan has the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the alleged offences related to FIR number 50/2021 registered by the Delhi Crime Branch under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Indian Telegraph Act and IT.
AG argued- litigation will waste court’s time
Despite several hearings, no interim order was passed in this regard in the Supreme Court. Additional AG Shiv Mangal Sharma, after examining the matter, advised the Rajasthan government to withdraw the case. His opinion stressed that continuing the litigation would waste valuable time of the court.
The Supreme Court’s decision brought an end to the matter
Consequently, an application was filed under Order 23 Rule 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure, seeking permission to withdraw the suit. The Supreme Court, after considering the facts and circumstances, allowed the petition and the case has come to an end.
The phone tapping case came to light in 2020
In the year 2020, a case of phone tapping (Rajasthan Phone Tapping Case) came to light in the former Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Ashok Gehlot were face to face in the phone tapping case. In which Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had filed a case against Ashok Gehlot and his then OSD Lokesh Sharma in the Delhi High Court in the year 2021.
Delhi police had come to Rajasthan for investigation
At that time, after the case was registered, a team of Delhi Police came to Rajasthan for investigation, which was stopped by the state government. At the same time, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of Ashok Gehlot’s government to stop this investigation. Hearing on which has not been held till date.
