Delhi police question Ashok Gehlot’s former OSD

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Wednesday questioned Lokesh Sharma, former OSD of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, in connection with a phone tapping case based on a complaint by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Sharma was called to the Delhi Police Crime Branch in Rohini for questioning. He arrived at the office around 11 am, officials said.

Sharma’s questioning could be a cause for concern for Gehlot this time as his former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) has publicly claimed that an audio clip of an alleged phone conversation between Shekhawat and some Congress leaders about the “overthrow” of the then Congress government in Rajasthan in 2020 was handed over to him by the former chief minister himself.

Sharma’s statement represents a departure from his earlier stance that he had obtained three audio clips from social media and forwarded them to news organizations.

In March 2021, based on a complaint from Shekhawat, the Delhi Police filed a complaint against Sharma for criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and unauthorized interception of telephone conversations.

This is Sharma’s fifth appearance before the Criminal Investigation Department for questioning. He was last questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department investigators on October 10, 2023.