Ashok Gehlot's OSD Appears Before Delhi Police Crime Branch In Phone-Tapping Case, Was Expecting Congress Ticket

Shortly after the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct in Rajasthan following the announcement of assembly election dates, Delhi Police served a notice to Lokesh Sharma, an Officer On Special Duty (OSD) of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Following the receipt of the notice in a case related to phone tapping associated with an FIR filed on 25 March 2021, Sharma appeared before the Crime Branch of Delhi Police for an inquiry on Tuesday (10 October), Live Hindustan reported.

Earlier, Sharma approached the Delhi High Court in this case seeking the cancellation of the FIR registered against him. On 3 June 2021, the court imposed an interim stay on any coercive action against him.

Now, the court will hear the plea by the Crime Branch on 11 October to remove the stay.

It is worth mentioning that recently, the Congress party has set up a Central War Room for the Rajasthan elections, appointing Lokesh Sharma as its Co-Chairman.

It is also being speculated that Lokesh Sharma might secure a Congress ticket from the Bikaner West constituency for the assembly elections.

The FIR was filed on the basis of a complaint by Jodhpur MP and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for criminal conspiracy and illegal phone tapping.

Shekhawat alleged that Lokesh Sharma purportedly made three audio clips viral on social media. It is claimed that all these audio clips feature the voice of Gajendra Singh discussing horse-trading of MLAs during the 2020 political crisis.