CBI to probe corruption allegations against Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat

On Tuesday, the Uttarakhand High Court directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file an FIR and investigate the allegations of corruption leveled against CM Trivendra Singh Rawat. The journalist, Umesh Sharma in a video had accused the CM who was then Jharkhand in-charge of the Bhartiya Janta Party of alleged money transfers to accounts of his relatives in 2016  to back the appointment of a person in Jharkhand to head the Gau Seva Ayog.

Justice Ravindra Maithani also ordered quashing of the FIR against the journalist, Umesh Kumar Sharma.

"This Court is of the view that considering the nature of allegations levelled against Trivendra Singh Rawat, the Chief Minister of the State, it would be appropriate to unfold the truth. It would be in the interest of the State that the doubts are cleared. Therefore, while allowing the petition, this Court proposes for investigation also. In view of the nature of the allegations, this Court is of the view that the CBI should be directed to lodge an FIR on the basis of allegations levelled in para 8 of the instant petition and investigate the case in accordance with law," the court's order read.

According to sources, the state government will move to the Supreme Court with a Special Leave Petition challenging the order. The media coordinator of the Chief Minister said that the government respects the High Court order, adding that the facts will be cleared in the inquiry.

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In July, Dr. Harender Singh Rawat, a retired professor, wrote to police to conduct an inquiry into the allegations. He approached the police with a complaint against a video Sharma had uploaded on Facebook in June. Sharma had alleged that Harinder’s wife Savita Rawat, an associate professor, is the sister of CM Rawat’s wife.

The complaint added that during demonetisation in the year 2016, a man named Amratesh Singh Chauhan had deposited money in different bank accounts belonging to him and his wife. Refuting all allegations by Sharma, Dr. Rawat in his complaint added that the journalist in his video showed fake documents. 

The police had lodged the FIR in the matter following an inquiry in which Semwal’s news portal, Parvatjan, and another journalist Rajesh Sharma’s portal Crime Story, were also charged.

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(With agency inputs)