Rajasthan SOG to move HC to get voice sample of Sanjay Jain in leaked audiotape probe

Amid a long-drawn political crisis in Rajasthan, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police is all set to move the High Court to take the voice sample of Sanjay Jain. Jain has been arrested by the Police allegedly for discussing a plot to topple the state government as per audio tapes that surfaced amid the chaos in Rajasthan government.

On Friday, Jain was produced before a local court where he refused to give his voice sample, saying he does not have faith in the SOG probe and the Forensic Science Laboratory report can be manipulated. Thereafter, ADG (SOG) Ashok Rathore said that the Police will move HC  and seek direction to get his voice sample. 

"As the accused disagreed to give his voice sample in the lower court, we will take further legal steps and approach the High Court in this matter against him," ADG (SOG) Ashok Rathore said. Rathore also said an SOG team has been camping in Manesar of Haryana to trace rebel Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government had previously sent its report on phone tapping to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Home Ministry had on July 18 asked the Rajasthan Chief Secretary to submit a report after BJP alleged illegalities on phone tapping in the state.

READ | Rajasthan min fires jibe at Sachin Pilot; 'You were still in knickers when I was elected'

Leaked audio tapes

Sanjay Jain was arrested by Rajsthan SOG on July 17 after he was purportedly heard talking to MLA Sharma and Gajendra Singh, who the Congress claims is union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in the audiotapes. Congress' chief whip Mahesh Joshi had lodged a complaint with the SOG following which the agency had lodged two FIRs. 

READ | Cong legislator claims Sanjay Jain contacted him 8 month ago

BJP demands CBI inquiry

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra demanded a CBI inquiry on the phone taping after Congress released an audiotape alleging horse-trading attempts by the former. Patra asked the Ashok Gehlot government if orders were passed to tap the phones of all leaders in Rajasthan and are still going on? 

Rajasthan BJP chief Dr. Satish Poonia asked the whereabouts and authenticity of the 'leaked tapes'. Reiterating Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat's denial, he said that such allegations were done to defame the BJP. Moreover, he said that BJP will consult and decide on filing a defamation suit against Congress. 

Search for MLAs from Pilot camp

Meanwhile, the state police's SOG group is still hunting for Sachin Pilot camp MLAs on the alleged 'horse-trading' probe and on Wednesday they visited Best Western hotel. The team which visited two hotels - Heritage Village Hotel and Best Western Resort in Haryana's Manesar on July 23, was told that no MLAs were there as the premises were allegedly being used as a COVID facility. All 18 MLAs and Pilot are reportedly in Delhi and Haryana.

READ | Ashok Gehlot justifies shifting of Congress MLAs to Jaisalmer, cites horse-trading attempt

Gehlot shifts his MLAs

Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot justified the shifting of Congress MLAs to Jaisalmer by alleging horse-trading attempts. He claimed that party MLAs and their families were being pressurized after the Assembly session was summoned by Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra. Also, he accused BJP of offering money up to any extent to lure the legislators.

The Rajasthan CM maintained that he had no other option left to tackle such horse-trading attempts. On this occasion, he asserted that it was every citizen's duty to safeguard democracy. Stressing that the Congress MLAs were being harassed mentally in Jaipur, he expressed hope that the pressure will be less in Jaisalmer.  

READ | Gehlot's Rajasthan govt sends 'phone tapping' report to MHA amid 'horse trading' row