The Uttarakhand Cabinet on Sunday withdrew the notification recommending a CBI probe into a sting operation involving Chief Minister Harish Rawat. The decision prompted the opposition BJP to allege that he was shying away from investigation as he was afraid of ‘being caught’.
The State Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by its seniormost member Indira Hridayesh, decided to withdraw the notification issued on April 2 during President’s Rule recommending a CBI probe into the sting CD, Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh told reporters here.
SIT probe The Cabinet, however, resolved to constitute a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe the sting operation.
Reacting sharply to the decision, State BJP president Ajay Bhatt said it was yet another testimony to Mr. Rawat’s “guilt“.
As investigation of criminal cases is a State subject, it has been decided to hand over the probe into the sting CD to an SIT, the Chief Secretary said. In an effort to justify the State government’s move he cited a similar decision taken by the government in Sikkim where notification for a preliminary enquiry underway by the CBI had been withdrawn. Mr Singh said the Law Department had given concurrence to the proposal to withdraw the notification.
CBI summons ignored The decision comes ten days after the CBI had summoned Mr Rawat for questioning in connection with its inquiry into the controversial sting CD which the agency had found to be genuine.
Mr Rawat was to appear before the agency on May 9. However, he did not turn up.
Mr Rawat was in Kedarnath when the Cabinet met under Ms Hridayesh and decided to withdraw the notification.
