Introduction:
Delhi Police Arrests Ashok Gehlot’s Ex-OSD Lokesh Sharma: Revisiting the 2020 Rajasthan Phone-Tapping Scandal
More than three years after the Delhi Police booked him on charges of criminal conspiracy linked to the alleged phone-tapping of rebel Rajasthan Congress MLAs and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Lokesh Sharma, ex-officer on special duty to former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, was arrested Monday. He was, however, released on bail on the order of the Rohini court a few hours later.
The 2020 Phone-Tapping Scandal
The case dates back to 2020 when Ashok Gehlot was battling a rebellion led by his party colleague Sachin Pilot and around 30 Rajasthan Congress MLAs. The Gehlot camp released audio tapes alleging that MLAs from the Pilot camp were in touch with BJP leader Shekhawat through an intermediary, conspiring to topple the Congress government in the state. You can read more about the Rajasthan Political History to understand the context better.
Shekhawat subsequently lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police, leading to an FIR in 2021 naming Lokesh Sharma. Shekhawat accused Sharma of unlawfully intercepting his telephonic conversation in July 2020.
Recent Developments
Monday’s arrest of Sharma comes just over a week after he withdrew his petition from the Delhi High Court seeking to quash the FIR against him. Earlier, in September, the BJP-led Rajasthan government withdrew its plea in the Supreme Court challenging the jurisdiction of the Delhi Police to probe the phone-tapping case.
A Closer Look at the Case
In 2020, amid the rebellion by Sachin Pilot, who was camped with lawmakers in a hotel in Haryana’s Manesar, the Gehlot camp released audio tapes alleging that Shekhawat was conspiring in the matter. In one clip, Shekhawat purportedly talks to rebel Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma through an intermediary named Sanjay Jain. The Congress suspended two of its rebel MLAs after the revelations, and the party’s chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged complaints with the Rajasthan Police, leading to two FIRs.
The Congress sought Shekhawat’s arrest for his role in “attempting to topple the Gehlot government,” a claim Shekhawat denied. In March 2021, the Delhi Police crime branch registered a case based on Shekhawat’s complaint, citing sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Telegraph Act, and the Information Technology Act.
Change in Stance
After the Delhi Police booked him, Sharma moved the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of the FIR, and the court ordered no coercive action against him in June 2021. Simultaneously, the Gehlot government challenged the Delhi Police’s jurisdiction in the Supreme Court.
In late 2023, the crime branch summoned Sharma before investigating officers, weeks before the Rajasthan assembly elections, which the Congress lost to the BJP. Both Sharma and the Rajasthan government have since changed their stance. The Bhajan Lal Sharma-led government withdrew its challenge to the Delhi Police’s investigation, and Sharma publicly alleged that the audio clips were given to him by Gehlot.
Sharma’s Admission
In a press conference in April this year, Sharma admitted to sharing the audio clips with the media, claiming they were handed over to him by Gehlot. “So far I had been lying to all, including you (media), that I obtained the audio clips from social media. But the fact is that they were provided to me by Gehlot,” he said, while playing a clip of Gehlot taking a status update on the matter.
Sharma alleged that his only wrongdoing was carrying out his duties as a special officer to former CM Gehlot, unaware of the broader conspiracy surrounding the distribution of the clips until legal action was taken.
Legal Proceedings
In July this year, the Rajasthan government filed a plea in the Supreme Court to withdraw the original suit challenging the Delhi Police’s jurisdiction. The Supreme Court allowed the withdrawal in September. The same month, Sharma was summoned again, where he reiterated his allegations of receiving the audio tapes from Gehlot.
In a seven-page statement to the crime branch, Sharma detailed the sequence of events in July 2020, when he allegedly received a pen drive containing call recordings from the then Rajasthan CM.
On September 27, the Rajasthan government submitted that it had withdrawn its plea from the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi Police’s authority. Following this, Sharma withdrew his plea from the Delhi High Court, which lifted the stay on his arrest.
Conclusion: The Ongoing Saga
The arrest of Lokesh Sharma and the subsequent legal developments highlight the complexities and ongoing nature of the 2020 Rajasthan phone-tapping scandal. As the case continues to unfold, it remains a significant chapter in the political landscape of Rajasthan, reflecting the intricate interplay of power, politics, and legal battles. For more insights, check out our article on Previous Scandals in Indian Politics.
