NEW DELHI: Prime Minister of Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat He approached the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the direction of the Uttarakhand high court for a CBI investigation into the corruption allegations against him.
On Tuesday, the Uttarakhand High Court, exercising its powers under article 226, ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to file an FIR and investigate allegations of corruption made against Rawat.
The accusations were made by Umesh Kumar Sharma, owner of the local news channel “Samachar Plus”.
Sharma had said that an amount of 25 lakh rupees was deposited into the bank account of a relative of the prime minister when the demonetization was announced in 2016, allegedly to facilitate the appointment of the man, who paid the money, as president of Gau Seva Aayog. of Jharkhand. In particular, CM Rawat was the BJP state in charge of Jharkhand at the time.
Knowing the seriousness of the allegations, Judge Ravindra Maithani’s court said it would be appropriate to “reveal the truth.” “This court is of the opinion that, given the nature of the allegations made against Trivendra Singh Rawat, the state’s prime minister, it would be appropriate to reveal the truth. It is in the State’s interest that doubts are clarified. Therefore, while allowing the petition, this court also proposes an investigation, ”reads the court order, a copy of which is available from TOI.
After Sharma made these accusations, several FIRs were brought against him and he was later charged with sedition as well. The state argued that Sharma’s intention is to create chaos in the state. The court, however, said the addition of section 124-A (sedition) indicates that an attempt is being made to “muffle the voice of criticism” and is “beyond understanding why the section was added.”
“Whatever the accusations against the petitioner, they are not remotely related to section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code. The offense under Section 124-A of the IPC is not, prima facie, established. Why this section is added is beyond comprehension. Everything that is said on behalf of the State, in this regard, has no merit ”, added the order.
The court also struck down an FIR filed against Sharma in 2020 in which he was charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery.
Meanwhile, Congress demanded Rawat’s resignation after the higher court ordered a CBI investigation.
“A prime minister, who never tires of flaunting the state government’s policy of zero tolerance for corruption, has no right to continue in office for one minute after an order like this,” the head of Congress previously said. state, Pritam Singh.
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