Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat seeks fresh CBI date

New Delhi: Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat, who was summoned by the CBI in connection with the agency’s ongoing inquiry into the controversial sting CD, in which he was purportedly seen talking to middlemen in a bid to strike a deal with dissident Congress leaders, did not appear before the agency on Monday.

Mr Rawat wrote to the premier investigating agency expressing his inability to appear before it and sought a fresh date for the purpose, his media adviser and spokesman Surendra Kumar told mediapersons in Dehradun. CBI sources said the Uttarakhand CM has cited official engagements for his inability to join the probe, and soon a new date will be given to him to appear before it.

The matter pertains to the probe into the alleged sting operation purportedly showing Mr Rawat negotiating a deal to buy support of disgruntled Congress MLAs to save his government earlier this year.

The CBI inquiry focuses on Mr Rawat’s relations with the owner of a news channel, alleged bribe proposal made to one dissident MLA by him and a minister in his previous Cabinet, besides his claims on the purported video. The reason for summoning him again, according to CBI sources, was that Mr Rawat had not furnished full and complete details on many issues. After the summons were issued to him, he had questioned its timing and accused the Centre of using the investigating agency as a tool to frame him, as Assembly elections were round the corner in Uttarakhand. This is the second time that Mr Rawat has been summoned by the CBI on a preliminary enquiry (PE) registered by it on April 29. He had earlier appeared before the agency on May 24, during which he was questioned for nearly five hours.

A PE is the first step during which the agency verifies the facts in the complaint received by it. During a PE, usually, the agency “requests” a person “to join the probe” only and does not summon him, carry out searches or make any arrests. If verification of facts shows need of further probe, it may register an FIR or else close the PE.