In Rajasthan, the Delhi Police can now arrest Lokesh Sharma, former OSD to ex-CM Ashok Gehlot, following lifted protections. Sharma, implicated in phone tapping and accusations of illegal recordings, withdrew his petitions for protection. This case, tied to a 2020 political crisis, raises concerns over political surveillance and privacy rights.
Rajasthan: In a major development in Rajasthan’s controversial phone tapping case, the stay on the arrest of Lokesh Sharma, former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to ex-Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has been lifted. The Delhi Police Crime Branch now has the legal authority to arrest Sharma, a significant turn in this high-profile investigation.
Sharma had earlier filed a petition in the Delhi High Court seeking protection from arrest following an FIR filed by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. However, during Thursday’s hearing, Sharma withdrew this petition, clearing the way for further legal action.
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Lokesh Sharma maintains that he has fully cooperated with the Crime Branch since the investigation began. “I have been assisting in the enquiries and have already submitted evidence to the authorities,” Sharma stated. Notably, Sharma had also approached the Supreme Court in the past, seeking a transfer of the case to Rajasthan and protection from arrest. However, that plea was also withdrawn.
The controversy originated in March 2021 when Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accused Sharma and other officials of illegally recording phone conversations and leaking them to the media. These recordings reportedly implicated individuals in alleged plots to destabilize the Gehlot-led government.
During questioning, Sharma admitted to receiving a pen drive containing the recordings from Ashok Gehlot. He claimed Gehlot directed him to release the recordings to the media. While initially asserting that he sourced the clips from social media, Sharma later implicated Gehlot after rigorous interrogation, stating that only the former Chief Minister could provide further details.
The phone tapping case gained political prominence during the 2020 Rajasthan political crisis, which saw Sachin Pilot and his faction rebelling against Gehlot’s leadership. Audio leaks at the time alleged a conspiracy to topple the state government. Sharma’s involvement in leaking these recordings became a central focus, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the Gehlot government of spying on political opponents.
Sharma also alleged that during the crisis, Gehlot placed several leaders, including Sachin Pilot and his supporters, under surveillance. According to Sharma, the monitoring was so detailed that every movement of the dissident leaders was tracked. He further claimed that Gehlot expressed frustration when media outlets initially refrained from publishing the leaked recordings.
The case has significant implications for Rajasthan’s political landscape, given its connections to a 2020 rebellion that shook the Gehlot government. The BJP has continued to use the case as evidence of alleged malpractice and misuse of power by the former Chief Minister. With the arrest of Lokesh Sharma now a possibility, the focus shifts to how the investigation unfolds and whether it leads to further political fallout.
As legal proceedings continue, this case underscores the intersection of politics, surveillance, and privacy in contemporary Indian governance. The developments in this high-stakes investigation will be closely watched in the coming weeks.
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