CBI grills Rawat on sting video
The CBI on Tuesday questioned Uttarakhand chief minister for investigations into an alleged sting operation in which he is apparently seen trying to influence some dissident Congress MLAs to support him during the floor test in the Assembly. Mr Rawat was questioned by the CBI on May 24 also.
CBI officials claimed that Mr Rawat had not answered some of the questions satisfactorily, a claim which was rubbished by the Uttarakhand CM who said he had fully cooperated with the investigating agency. The CBI had registered a preliminary enquiry in connection with the case on April 29.
Even though Mr Rawat has denied the allegations and called the video fake he later admitted that he was on camera in the sting operation, but clarified that it had been edited to convey a wrong impression. After Mr Rawat won the floor test, the state Cabinet met on May 15 and withdrew the notification recommending a CBI probe into the sting operation. But his plea to stop the CBI probe into the case was rejected by the Uttarakhand high court.
However, the CBI rejected the state government’s notification withdrawing permission for probing the case. The recommendation for the CBI investigation was sent by the state government during the President’s Rule.
A preliminary enquiry is the first step during which the agency verifies the facts in the complaint received by it. During this the investigating agency can only “request” a person “to join the probe” and cannot 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.