Horse-trading case of MLAs: Former rebel MLA Chaitanya Sharma appeared before Shimla police for the first time, questioned for 5 hours

Shimla, July 12: Former rebel Congress MLA Chaitanya Sharma appeared before Shimla police for the first time in the case of alleged horse-trading in the Rajya Sabha elections held for one seat of Himachal Pradesh and conspiracy to topple the Himachal Pradesh government. On Friday, SIT questioned Chaitanya Sharma for 5 consecutive hours at Boileauganj Police Station. Chaitanya Sharma appeared at Boileauganj Police Station at around 3 pm in the afternoon.

Earlier, the SIT had questioned Chaitanya Sharma’s father and former IAS officer Rakesh Sharma in the same case. Yesterday, the SIT had also questioned former independent MLA Ashish Sharma for several hours. Apart from rebel Congress and former MLAs Rajinder Rana from Sujanpur, Ravi Thakur from Lahaul Spiti and Davinder Kumar Bhutto from Kutlehar, the SIT has also summoned former Haryana CM’s campaign advisor Tarun Bhandari for questioning. The SIT has also issued notices to people whose names are coming up in the expenses incurred in the stay of six rebel Congress and three former independent MLAs in hotels in Uttarakhand and their air travel, to join the investigation.

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Let us tell you that former MLA and BJP candidate from Hamirpur Ashish Sharma and former MLA Chaitanya Sharma’s father Rakesh Sharma have been accused of horse-trading in the Rajya Sabha elections. Shimla Police has collected information about the expenses and payments made for meetings with BJP leaders including Ganga bath in Uttarakhand. It is being told that about Rs 30 lakh has been spent. Shimla Police has found many important evidences in the investigation of the travel agency.

It is noteworthy that during the budget session of Himachal Vidhan Sabha on February 27, the matter of rebellion of six former MLAs of the ruling Congress came to light in the election of Rajya Sabha MP. The then six MLAs of Congress and three former independent MLAs voted in favor of the BJP candidate. The result was that despite the absolute majority, Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the election and BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan got elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Congress MLAs Sanjay Awasthi and Bhuvneshwar Gaur had lodged a case against former MLA Ashish Sharma and former MLA Chaitanya Sharma’s father, retired IAS officer Rakesh Sharma, at Boileauganj police station on March 10 under IPC 171E and 171C, 120B and sections 7 and 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Both of them are accused of conspiring to topple the government. After cross voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, 6 rebel Congress and 3 former independent MLAs remained out of the state for about a month.

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