Ashok Gehlot govt drops sedition charges against rebel MLAs

JAIPUR: In a step seen as a conciliation gesture towards the 19 rebel Congress legislators, the Ashok Gehlot government decided to drop sedition charges against MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma and others on Tuesday.
The Special Operations Group (SOG), which was investigating the charge of toppling the state government through horse-trading of MLAs, has now transferred all three cases to the state’s Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) for probe under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, along with CM Ashok Gehlot and Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi, had been served notice, though not as an accused, in the first FIR registered by the SOG on July 10. In the second FIR registered on July 17, along with Congress MLA Sharma, a person with a name similar to that of union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was booked for sedition. All these persons now stand clear of sedition charges but face corruption charges related to horse-trading of MLAs.
MLA Sharma had moved a petition before the Rajasthan high court seeking to either quash the SOG FIRs or handover the probe to National Investigation Agency (NIA). Hearing on the petition remained inconclusive on Tuesday. Sources said the move to drop sedition charges was also aimed at keeping the matter out of NIA’s purview.
ADG (SOG & ATS) Ashok Rathore said, “The investigations were conducted in a free, fair and impartial manner. Considering the fact that the investigations involved persons sitting high in the government, we observed utmost care and caution so as not to malign public image of any person or party. During the course of investigations, when it was found that certain facts related to PC Act were attracted, it was decided to obtain legal opinion from the state legal officer. Based on the legal opinion, it was decided to drop sedition charges and add sections of the PC Act.”
As ACB is the only agency to conduct investigations under the PC Act, the case files were forwarded to it and the court was duly informed simultaneously.
SOG did not file any more application in court on Tuesday to get approval for collecting voice samples of MLA Sharma or Union minister Shekhawat in connection with the alleged horse-trading of legislators.
Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi had filed all three FIRs. The last two were lodged after two audio clips went viral on social media.