The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered a CBI probe against Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat after allegations made by a journalist in a video. The CM, then in-charge of Jharkhand, has been alleged of getting money transferred to the accounts of relatives during demonitisation in 2016 to illegally support the appointment of a person as head of the Gau Seva Ayog in Jharkhand.
The HC also quashed the FIR against the journalist, Umesh Kumar Sharma, for a social media post, in which he had claimed that CM Rawat’s associate Amritesh Chauhan from Jharkhand transferred money into the back account of Harinder Singh Rawat, who is the husband of CM’s wife’s sister, Savita Rawat.
“Uttarakhand High Court has quashed the FIR registered by the state government against two journalists for cheating, forgery, and directed Superintendent of Police, CBI Dehradun to register an FIR on the basis of the allegations levelled against the state’s CM,” ANI tweeted.
The FIR against Umesh was filed by Harinder, rejecting the allegations, saying his family is not related to CM Rawat. He also accused the journalist of fabricating documents relating to cash deposits in bank account.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Kapil Sibal represented the journalist in the court and after hearing both the parties, Justice Maithani quashed the FIR against the journalist and ordered a thorough probe into the whole matter.
Hearing the petition, Justice Maithani stated, “…this court can, within the scope of jurisdiction under Article 226, order for investigation into allegations levelled by the petitioner in para 8 of the petition. This court is of the view that considering the nature of allegations levelled against Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of the State, it would be appropriate to unfold the truth.”
It held, “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.”
The court also stated, “The allegations as levelled in the instant FIR do not make out any prima facie case against the petitioners.”
Darshan Singh Rawat, media coordinator of the CM, said. “The government respects the High Court order. Facts will be cleared in the inquiry.”