In a major twist that could spell trouble for former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his former Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Lokesh Sharma, has accused him of being responsible for phone tapping during the 2020 political crisis in the state. The allegation came after Sharma was questioned by the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Wednesday in connection with the phone-tapping case lodged on a complaint by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Sharma, who submitted a seven-page written statement to the police, claimed that Gehlot provided him with call recordings on July 16, 2020, and instructed him to circulate the recordings to media outlets. He asserted that only Gehlot could explain how the recordings were obtained and whether the call interceptions were done legally or not. “The next course of investigation should involve Ashok Gehlot,” Sharma said, suggesting that the former chief minister should now be summoned for questioning.
Shift in Sharma’s stand
Sharma’s claims mark a notable departure from his previous stance. Earlier, he had maintained that he received the audio clips from social media and forwarded them to media houses. However, this time, Sharma alleged that the recordings were handed to him directly by Gehlot in a pen drive.
“I have stated that the then chief minister had called me to his residence and gave me a pen drive. He directed me to circulate the content of the pen drive to newspapers,” Sharma told PTI after the questioning. “I went home, transferred the files from the pen drive to my laptop, and from the laptop to my phone, then circulated them to media houses as directed,” he added.
The phone-tapping controversy
The phone-tapping scandal emerged in July 2020, during a political crisis in Rajasthan, where the Congress government faced internal rebellion. Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs had revolted against Gehlot’s leadership, plunging the party into turmoil.
During this period, audio clips of alleged telephonic conversations between Union Minister Shekhawat and Congress leaders surfaced. The conversations allegedly involved discussions about efforts to “topple” Gehlot’s government. Gehlot had accused Shekhawat of being the mastermind behind the attempt to destabilize the Congress government, which led to the crisis.
Sharma, who was Gehlot’s OSD at the time, had circulated these audio clips, which were purportedly evidence of the plot. Following the controversy, Shekhawat filed a complaint with the Delhi Police, alleging that his phone conversations had been unlawfully intercepted. This resulted in the filing of an FIR against Sharma in March 2021. The FIR included charges of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, and illegal interception of telephonic conversations.
Involvement of senior officials
Sharma’s recent statement has added further layers to the controversy, implicating several high-ranking officials in the alleged phone-tapping incident. He claimed that the phones of multiple Congress MLAs, from both Gehlot and Pilot’s camps, were intercepted on Gehlot’s directions. “The then chief secretary, DGP, home secretary, and principal secretary to the chief minister were all aware of the developments related to phone tapping,” Sharma said.
According to Sharma, he received transcriptions of each intercepted call, and these were part of the strategy employed during the political crisis to counter the rebellion.
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Ongoing investigation
This was Sharma’s sixth appearance before the Crime Branch for questioning. He had previously been interrogated by the branch on October 10, 2023, but his recent claims could potentially escalate the investigation. By directly implicating Gehlot, Sharma has put the former chief minister at the center of the probe, with calls for his interrogation gaining momentum.
Sharma has consistently maintained his innocence, asserting that he was merely following orders. He claims that the responsibility for the phone interceptions rests entirely with Gehlot, and that only the former chief minister can provide answers about the legality and process of the interceptions. “I was not involved in the call interceptions. It was done on the directions of the then chief minister. He can disclose how the interception was done, and whether it was legal or illegal,” Sharma said.
What lies ahead?
With Sharma now publicly stating that Gehlot should be questioned, the controversy surrounding the phone tapping is far from over. If Gehlot is summoned for questioning, it could have significant political repercussions, especially given the ongoing political dynamics in Rajasthan.
The investigation, which began in 2021, continues to unfold as new information comes to light. For now, all eyes are on the next steps in the probe, which could determine the fate of the political leaders involved in the phone-tapping scandal.
