The Central Bureau of Investigation has once again summoned Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat for questioning, this time on May 24, in connection with the ongoing preliminary enquiry into an alleged sting operation against him.
The CBI had initially summoned Mr. Rawat for questioning on May 10, a day before he was to face the trust vote in the Uttarakhand Assembly. He had then sought more time to join the investigation. But four days after he won the trust vote on May 11, the State Cabinet issued a notification withdrawing consent for the CBI probe and instead decided to institute a special investigation team.
However, the agency chose to disregard the notification, arguing that it was legally not tenable. “A Nainital court has also allowed the CBI to continue with the probe. Therefore, Mr. Rawat has been summoned,” said a CBI official.
The “sting” was carried out by Umesh Kumar, chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of Noida-based TV channel Samachar Plus.
