Delhi Police Arrest Former OSD Lokesh Sharma in Phone-Tapping Scandal

Lokesh Sharma, the ex-OSD to former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, was arrested by the Delhi Police in a phone-tapping case but later released on bail. He alleged that Gehlot provided him with controversial audio clips involving Union Minister Shekhawat and rebel Congress leaders.

In a significant development, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has apprehended Lokesh Sharma, the former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Ashok Gehlot, in a high-profile phone-tapping scandal. Sharma was taken into custody and subsequently granted bail by the court. Authorities had summoned him for questioning several times in relation to the case.

The case traces back to March 25, 2021, when the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Sharma on charges including criminal conspiracy and unlawful interception of telephonic conversations. The complaint was initiated by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, a BJP Member of Parliament from Jodhpur. A controversial revelation earlier this year saw Sharma allege that an audio clip involving Shekhawat and Congress members discussing the potential overthrowing of the Congress government in 2020 was handed to him by Gehlot.

Sharma further accused Gehlot of orchestrating the surveillance of rebel Congress leaders, such as Sachin Pilot. He admitted that he circulated audio clips of these leaders, which he claimed were originally received from Gehlot. "Initially, I cited social media as the source of these clips, but in reality, Gehlot provided them," Sharma revealed during a Jaipur press conference. Gehlot has rebuffed the allegations, maintaining a focus on ascertaining the truth amidst political dynamics.

(With inputs from agencies.)